You aren't alone: the Awakening of a Rogue
by GabrielsDoubt
Summary: Previously titled: When AU World Collide. Rogue runs away after X-3, to her Uncle Charlie's, but she can't escape the paranormal for long. What if neither Edward nor Rogue are as evil as they believe themselves to be? AU on both. M for language, content.
1. 1: Welcome to Forks

A/n: first off I have to say that I am absolutely hating my fanfic addiction right now. I need to be sleeping so that I can work tomorrow, but I got inspired, damn plot bunnies, and I had to write. Secondly, I could really use a beta for this story, preferably someone that is familiar with both X-men and twilight. PM me if you are interested. I already have the first 4 chapters of it in the rough, but they aren't flowing correctly and I think a second pair of eyes would do it some good.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. What if Bella wasn't the one Edward got as a lab partner? What if Rogue tried to get away after everything went wrong in X-3? Can the vampire world handle the mutant one, or vice verse? AU on both accounts, but I tend to follow Twilight cannon more than Xmen for this one, if there even is a true Xmen cannon. I also changed Charlie's last name to something more southern.

[Person's personal thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Okay Rogue, you can do this. I can do this. It's just another town, a chance to start over. This is what I have wanted. This is what I've needed.]

_Marie, why are you here? You should go back to Xavier's. I swear I didn't mean that. I still want you._

_[_**No**, you don't get a word. None of you.] Rogue winces as she mentally charges through her psychic plane, padlocking her 'characters' into their own cells. [**I will be normal. You will leave me alone today.**] She retreats to the real world and starts her truck.

Uncle Charlie got her an old Red truck when she got here, claiming it would be too cold for her to try to walk to school in the rain. [Heh, if only he knew how cold I've been.] In spite of her initial protests, Rogue accepted the truck as graciously as she could.

After getting the cure in San Francisco, Rogue returned to Xavier's to find that her home was no longer home. Bobby had made it quite clear that he wasn't interested in a non-mutant girlfriend, especially not an x-mutant one, and left her for Kitty the day she returned.

Rogue left within the week, calling the only remaining family she had after, well, after she left home all those years ago – Charlie. He was quite surprised to hear from her, as she recalled.

+++Flashback+++

Bobby had just broken up with her, Logan wasn't even around, and most students sent looks her way that screamed 'if only looks could kill'. The worst though, was that afternoon when Ms. Monroe had sat her down and told her, in no uncertain terms, that as a non-mutant, she couldn't stay at the school anymore and had to leave.

She had run to her room after that, and after crying all that she could cry, she made a quick decision to do the only thing she could do – try to find family that would take her in. Without her powers, she knew she couldn't last long in the real world. She'd grabbed her cellphone and quickly flipped through all the numbers she knew she'd never called of long lost relatives and friends, and found the one of the person furthest away – her Uncle Charlie in Forks, WA.

"Hey-lo"

"Hi, is Charlie Soileau home?"

"This is Charlie, who'm I speakin' to?"

"Umm, Hi Uncle Charlie, this is Anna Marie, remember me?"

"Anna? Little Anna? Honey, what a surprise. Gosh I haven't heard from you or your parents since, well, since the accident. (extended silence) Well, uh, how are you?"

"Well, I am not doing too good right now actually. You know that boarding school I went to after, well, after it all happened? I, I can't stay here anymore. I just, I just don't belong. Can I come live with you? I promise I won't be a burden, but I miss you and being with family and (Rogue starts to cry)"

"Oh Marie, of course you can come live with me Darlin'. Don't think twice now, that's what family is for. You know, we thought we'd lost you after your parents passed away – you were gone a long time before that school notified us that you'd been taken in. (pause). Marie?"

"Yeah Ah'm here Uncle Charlie. Thank ya so much. Ah know, Ah know, Ah neva meant to worry nobody 'bout me, Ah just, Ah couldn' handle them bein' gone. Ah had ta leave. Please forgive meh.(sobs)"

"Oh Marie, there ain't nothin' to forgive. Shush, shush, now honey. It'll be okay. When do you wanna come? Do you need help getting here?"

"No I'll be alright. Can I come this week? I don't want to be here anymore."

"Sure, I understand. This week is fine. I'll get your room ready, you know, the one you used to stay in when you were little. It'll be okay Marie, I promise."

"Thank you so much Uncle Charlie. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"Your very welcome Marie. You are family – don't forget that."

"I won't, I promise. I'll call you when I'm there – I'm taking a bus. But I gotta go, my battery is almost dead." She had lied to end the conversation before it got too much more awkward.

"Alright then Marie. Call me if you need anything. I, well, I've missed you. See you soon."

"See you soon. Bye"

After hanging up, Rogue wrote a quick note, to anyone who may come to this room looking for her. It read, "I've gone to somewhere I'm wanted. Tell Logan I said bye. -Rogue"

Rogue had taken her still-packed bag out of Xavier's school, for what she thought would be forever. She went to the nearby Greyhound station and purchased a bus ticket to Port Angeles, the nearest city with a Greyhound stop to Forks. It would take her 3 days, and 250 dollars of her measly savings to get there. But she was definitely going.

As she boarded the bus that afternoon, Rogue took one last look at Salem, and on towards where she knew Xavier's was, and had waved goodbye.

+++End flashback+++

Rogue laughed as she realized how happy she was already – after just being here a few days. Charlie had been happy to have someone else in his house, his wife has died 10 years before, and had even bought her the truck she was driving to school today. He didn't ask about her wardrobe, which still consisted of long sleeved shirts and gloved, and she didn't tell.

She was never more thankful that somehow the coroner hadn't been able to pinpoint her parents, and Cody's, cause of death.

[God I am so awful. How can I even think that? I can't cry. I won't cry again.]

_It's okay Darlin. You didn't mean to. It happens to everyone._

[Thanks Logan.] She sighed, and turned her attention back to the task at hand – getting to school.

Her truck, now well-warmed from her thoughtful reminiscing, went rolling down the highway as she sought out the small campus Charlie had shown her on her way in. [It ain't Xavier's; geez this place is like an institution. ] She parked in what looked like student parking – there weren't many cars there - and walked into the biggest building, and the only non-portable building, on the campus.

'Go Spartan' signs decorated the hallway in gold on blue lettering, but it was thankfully empty.

[Did Xavier's even have school colors?]

_Do black leather and steel silver count? _(John)

[Hah!]

Chuckling to herself, she spotted a large black-on-white sign that directed all visitors to the main office, and eventually found herself in front of a plump, but friendly looking woman.

"Um, Hello."

The woman looked up, obviously startled at her presence. "Hello. How can I help you?"

"Umm, I'm Anna Marie Soileau. I just moved here. I think my uncle Charlie got me registered already?" She ended the sentence on a high note, unsure if he actually had or not. They hadn't exactly talked much about this.

"Oh yes. The chief's quite excited you know. He called in here the day he knew you were coming. Poor soul didn't know what grade you were in though, but I think we've got all that taken care of now."

The woman passed Rogue a map of the school and a class schedule, along with a sheet to get all her new teacher's signatures on from each class to return at the end of the day. She also handed her a decent sized student handbook, bound in blue plastic, and told her she needed to read the book and return the rules page, signed, by the end of he week. After letting Rogue know that classes didn't start for another half an hour, the woman – Ms. Conway - excused her so that she could get back to work

As Rogue wandered the small campus, she noticed key differences between this high school and Xavier's. This campus felt much colder, and not just from the stinging cold rain today. Gone was the home-like and welcoming atmosphere, and here was the average high school experience. She was a number, just another student. She liked it.

End of Chapter 1

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	2. 2: Day 1, Good morning

A/n: I wanted to give a different morning POV. I might do this for more scenes – let me know how you think it turned out. Oh yeah, and this chapter contains more of our category favorites, the vampire kids.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. Good morning with Edward and Alice on Rogue's first day at Forks High School.

[Person's personal thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

_'A new girl is in her classes. She doesn't look like she is from the local area. Anna Marie. Edward is staring at her from across the hallway on the way to lunch – but the girl doesn't enter through the double doors that have his undivided attention the entire period.'_

[Edward can't see this – oh this will be so much fun! Hmm, what would the Greeks think of the modern representative democracy complex presented by modern American style unions?]

Edward sighed as he overheard Alice's mindless drone of CHID-inspired thinking – she was obviously hiding something from him. He wondered if he actually cared what it was.

"Alice, if you want a ride to school today..."

"Edward, you'll thank me for it later. It'll ruin the surprise." Alice pouted. "You wouldn't dare to make me walk and ruin these shoes, would you?" her eerily butterscotch eyes looked up at him, attempting to seem worried, but twinkling with mischief.

"Alice..." his tone reprimanding and teasing.

She huffed, apparently seeing that he would leave her if she didn't say anything. She decided to tell him just enough, "There is a surprise at school today?" She looked at Edward, and seeing as his eyes were quickly darkening with frustration and annoyance, her shoulders slumped and she muttered, "Look there's a new girl in town, in school. She's in our class. She's going to be really cool."

Edward rolled his eyes, "Just get in."

Alice squeaked, and all 5 of the gracefully slid in his silver Volvo just in time for him to gun the engine and speed towards the high school campus.

The ride, per usual, was only 5 minutes, but it should have been longer. While they were usually the first students to campus, a HUGE old red Chevy was already in the student parking. [I guess the new kid is on time today] thought Edward to himself, unconsciously walking over to the new kid's car and giving it a lookover. He was surprised.

[The parking job is perfect. Even I would have trouble maneuvering this beast into these parking spaces. Maybe the new student is a car fan – would explain the antique I suppose.]

"Edward, do we need to give you and the truck a minute alone?" Emmett's booming voice rang out, unnecessarily loud.

Edward growled back low enough that no one but his fellow vampires would hear, "Thanks Emmett, but no thanks. Should I decide I want a ride a half century or more old, I'll just ask Rosalie for a spin."

Emmett's face went red as he reacted on instinct, but before he could make contact with Edward's confident but smirking frame, Jasper has him on his back with his teeth at his neck. "Not here, Emmett. He's just doing it to upset you." Calming waves brought Emmett back to reality.

"You totally suck Edward – I'll get you back, you watch." Emmett directed towards Edward, now in a playful mood again.

"So Alice, where is this new student you were so eager to hide from me this morning?" asked Edward.

Alice would have blushed if she could, but replied, slightly-too-quick for human ears, in her typical bubbly soprano voice, "Now now Edward, what's the fun in that? Don't worry, she'll be around."

"So it's a she?"

Wide-eyed, Alice smirks, "Oops, got to run! I wouldn't want to be late for my advisory period, and I need to pick up an excuse for missing Friday's gym class." She danced off with Jasper in hand, still mentally reviewing democratic systems across the modern Western world.

[Suspicious little pixie.] Edward sighed.

_**Rosalie on a bear's coat, in the middle of a smokey lodge, wearing nothing but...**_

"Emmett" groaned Edward in anguish, trying to block out his 'brother's' indecent thoughts. Leaving Rosalie and Emmett in the parking lot to do the 'high-school lover make-out session', headed to the quad to await the start of another boring day in Folks high school.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_

Alice and Jasper ran towards the administration office, feeding and enhacing one another's good mood, at least, untiil they actually entered the building.

"What is it Jazz?"

"I feel too many emotions, like a burning agony and sadness, an excitement, sheer terror, it's overwhelming me Alice." Jasper leaned against the wall as tears started falling down his face. "I can't be in here, she's too much. How can one person feel so much, so strongly."

Alice bent down and planted a kiss on Jasper's head, projecting her emotions, mainly love and concern, as best she could to Jasper, while hauling him up by his arm and leading him back out the door. Once he was out of the building, he stopped crying, and they stopped walking.

"Are yopu going to be okay love?" Alice asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Of course. I don't know what overcame me."

"Well I still need this excuse, but you can't go back in there today." she said this last bit with certainty, and Jasper sighed. "Well, I'll go sit with Edward then. See you soon my love."

They kissed and parted, Alice dancing back into the building just in time to see the new girl walk out to the courtyard area. Alice giggled in excitement.

_'Marie reaches into her bag just after the pledge, pulling out a whole bottle of aspirin. The teacher sees it, immediately reprimanding her, taking the pills, and writing her up for detention. Marie sits in shock – but still appears in pain from a headache.'_

Alice straightens herself out – [Well that certainly can't be allowed to happen] – and takes care of her stuff in the administration office as quickly as possible, but finished just as the bell rings for administration period. [Time to impress new girl and make a friend!] Alice thought, as she skipped towards the period where she knew she would be meeting this Anna Marie.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

As Edward entered the quad, a surprisingly sweet scent assaulted his nose. He saw a girl sitting cross-legged on one of the picnic benches, reading a large and poorly bound pamphlet he could only deduce was the student guide for the school. He tried to read her mind, but couldn't. [Guess I'm too far away.]

He walked towards the students, unknowingly stalking her. [She smells so sweet. So pure. I wonder what her skin would feel like under my teeth.]

Two forms suddenly flanked his sides, grabbing his arms and bringing him to a stop.

"Calm down. I can feel your bloodlust a mile away." Whispered Jasper.

"Edward, you should go back home today. You need to hunt, a lot, before coming back."

Startled out of his thoughts, he looked appreciatively at Jasper and Alice, thanking them, before turning tail and leaving campus as fast as he could. He ran all the way home, knowing all his siblings had the necessary spares for his car.

Esme met him at the door, seeing the need in his pitch black eyes. No words were necessary as mother gently took her son's arm, and they raced off into the woods to hunt.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_

The bell rang at 8:10 on the dot, startling Rogue out of her reading. Her skimming of the student guide book told her a lot more about the school by what it didn't include, than by what it did. No mention of mutants was included at all. Not that that mattered to her anymore. It didn't. At all.

Checking her schedule, she sighed. [Advisory Period. What the hell is this?] As she entered the room, she noticed all stared immediately fell to her, and she blushed.

[Oh great, now I'm just another new face. Woo hoo for being the new kid.] She handed her teacher her slip, and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, the teacher sent her to her seat, in the back of the class. The loudspeaker came on, crackling, and the students were asked to stand and say the pledge.

[Wow, I really used to do this back before... well, before]

_You shouldn't have to do this. Ironic that such a Nazi tactic has stuck around for so long. _Rogue winced and shuddered as she mentally slammed that door again. Feeling an oncoming headache, she started to reach into her purse for an Advil, only to be stopped by a cold hand on her shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Mr. Smith will take it from you and write you a referral," whispered an angelic-like voice.

"How did you" Rogue started to say, but Mr. Smith beat her to it.

"Ms. Soil-you, do you have something you would like to share with the class?" He asked with a somber and aggravated tone.

"Umm no sir. Sorry for interrupting. And its swal-low, if you don't mind." Rogue regretted, not for the first or last time, choosing to take Charlie's last name. Her dad's last name was infinitely easier for Yankee's to pronounce based on its spelling, but she knew she could be tracked down if she used it, so she switched.

The loudspeaker droned on after that, until nearly the end of the administrative period. When the bell rang, Rogue sighed. [One down, seven to go.]

"Hi I'm Alice. What's your name?" [Oh crap, I forgot about that. Here goes making new friends.]

Rogue warily accepted the offered hand, giving Alice one small and quick shake before letting go. [Her hands are like ice. She's as cold as Bobby, maybe colder.]

"Um, Hi. Ah'm Marie, uh, Anna Marie. But you can just call me Marie. Pleasure to meet you Alice. Thanks for the tip, by the way." she said, nodding her head towards Mr. Smother-the-New-Kid in the back of the room. Looking at Alice, she then noticed her appearance. [Oh. My. God. Her eyes cannot be real. Is she a mutant? I can't ask that yet. Oh wait, she's talking.]

Alice smiled. "No problem. I see girls get busted all the time. It's a ridiculous policy anyway." She watched Rogue watch her for a minute, taking in Rogue's wrinkled brow and sweaty forehead "You can get away with it in the hall or bathroom though. You look like you need it." replied Alice with a sadder smile.

Rogue winced again, and sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. Thanks though, I can't live without them. Migraines, you know?"

Alice laughed, a pretty tinkling sound, or at least Rogue thought so. "I'm sure. So what class do you have next?"

They exchanged schedules, turns out they shared 2 classes, English and Math. Either Alice didn't notice her gloves, or ignored them. Either way, Rogue was grateful.

Her next few classes were much the same. Her foreign language teacher, Ms. Lincoln, insisted she introduce herself to class - in French. She freaked out until Logan's voice walked her through it, before settling back down into his room in her head. Ms. Lincoln looked impressed and asked to speak to her after class. [A/N: Forgive me for the bad French. Its been years since I studied it.]

"Est-ce que tu etudies Francais pour un long temps?" (Have you been studying French a long time?)

_Repeat after me Marie. Oui Madam..._

"Oui madam, quand je suis une petite bebe." (Yes ma'am. Since I was a baby.)

_You need a justification darlin'. French ain't exactly the modern language of the day._

[My mother's Acadien]

_Je suis..._

"Je suis Acadienne." ( I'm Acadian.) Marie lied. Her mother was in fact half-Acadian, but had never spoken a word of French at home.

"Oh c'est tres bien Marie. Je suis surprise, mais je suis tres joie aussi. A demain" (Very good Marie. I am surprised, but very happy too. See you tomorrow)

"A demain madam. Merci beaucoup." (Until tomorrow ma'am. Thank you so much.) [Thank you Logan, thank you Logan, thank you Logan.] Rogue though to herself.

Rogue quickly gather her books and left the classroom, still chanting her appreciation to someone who wasn't even there, physically. She completely missed the presence of the massive boy in front of her until she slammed into him, sprawling out on the floor with her books at her feet. Terrified for a second she had actually touched him, she looked up panicked, only to realize he hadn't even been knocked over.

[Wow, that's odd. He's tougher than Peter.] Rogue stared at the boy before her for only a second longer than was polite, before realizing what she had done and blushing fiercely.

"Ah am so sorry. Ah shoulda been watchin' where Ah was goin'." she mumbled as she went to pick up her books, only to realize he already had them in his hands and was offering her a hand up. She tried to ignore it out of instinct, but he grabbed hers anyway and heaved her off the ground. She realized it was bitterly cold, even through her glove. Just like Alice's had been.

[His eyes are like hers too. Not a mutant thing I guess. Too bad, some company would have been nice. Or maybe they would have been just like the kids at home – I mean Xavier's.]

The boy, no really, he was a man, laughed as he pulled her up quickly, shaking his head. "No problem, you didn't even knock me over. I'm Emmett, Emmett Cullen." Her hand that he was holding was suddenly shaking; Rogue gave him one quick shake and quickly pulled back. He let her hand go, but stayed put.

[Oh right, he's waiting for me to reply.]

_Hmm human interactions Rogue, are you out of practice much?_ (John)

"Um, hi. I'm Marie." Rogue said, just as a stunningly beautiful blonde snaked her arms around the boy in front of her, pulling him into a kiss. Her stomach turned as she couldn't help but be reminded of Kitty and Bobby.

[Ouch that hurts. I'm gonna die. I've gotta get out of here. Thank God its lunch.]

Rogue turned and sprinted down the hallway, diverting to the nearest bathroom marked 'girls' and collapsing in the handicapped stall.

_Now Rogue, look, I didn't mean to hurt you. I couldn't help myself._

[**SHUT UP Robert Drake. Or so help me God I will drill you out of my head.**]

Rogue took two more Advil and rested her head against the cool tile.

[Maybe I should skip lunch altogether. It's not like I haven't skipped a meal before. Besides, I don't think I can take another minute of the stares right now. And being near all those people...

People are touching me. I am letting people touch me. This is such a bad idea. I shouldn't have come here. What if it wears off? What if I hurt somebody again?] Rogue started sobbing to herself.

The bathroom door creaked, indicating someone had come in. Rogue stopped immediately and listened for someone's footsteps. Hearing nothing, she assumed whomever it was had changed their mind and stood up, exiting the stall only to find none other than Alice standing by the sinks, staring straight at her with those oddly colored, golden eyes.

"Hi Alice." Rogue stated, slightly startled that she hadn't heard Alice breathing, much less walking into the room. Rogue wiped her face hard with her shirt sleeve, and looked back at Alice. "What's up?"

"I saw you run in here, and I thought you could use an ear?" stated Alice, not appearing the least bit uncomfortable or unsure of her statement. Her face held nothing but concern, but Rogue still couldn't take her up on it.

"Oh, no I'm fine. I just needed a moment. First day is kind of hard, you know?" Rogue smiled, trying to play it off.

Alice sighed, but let it go. "Well, anyway. Do you want to join me for lunch?"

Rogue stared at her for a minute, and then decided against it. She needed to meditate – her voices weren't as well behaved as with a psychic around, and she needed to do some maintenance if she expected to make it through the day.

Shaking her head, she replied, "No thanks, I think I'm going to skip lunch for today. I'll take a rain check though." She added the last part seeing Alice's face drop at the refusal.

Smiling again, Alice replied, "Ok, well let me know if you change your mind. I'll be sitting with my siblings in the cafeteria."

Rogue perked up at this. [Maybe she and Emmett are related. ] "I'll consider it. See you in English."

"Bye Marie!" Alice waved as she left, practically danced, out of the bathroom.

[Definitely not a mutant. She's much to happy. But then again, I'm not one any more either.]

-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-

End of Chapter 2


	3. 3: Day 1, lunchtime

A/n: Wahhh. No new reviews. And not that many hits. Someone please, tell me what's wrong. I want more hits!

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. Lunch period from two perspectives at Forks high school.

[Person's personal thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=**

_**'**__Marie runs, literally, into Emmett, and after seeing Rosalie, leaves quickly to the nearest bathroom. She doesn't emerge until the bell rings for the next period.'_

[Well, that won't do.]

"Hey Jasper I'm going to go rescue the new girl from hiding out in the bathroom. Meet you at our table, okay?"

"Sure Alice. Don't be too long. I don't think I can handle too much of Emmett and Rosalie alone."

Alice skipped to the girls' restroom on the first floor of building 2, and gently opened the door. She waited patiently, not even breathing, for Marie to come on out.

The door of the far handicapped stall creaked as Marie opened it, and then looked at Alice in surprise. "Oh um, Hi Alice." [I didn't even hear you breathing] "What's up?"

Alice beamed at Marie. "I saw you run in here, and I thought you could use an ear."

Marie's face looked shocked for a second, but she quickly recovered, dismissing Alice's offer for lunch. She left the restroom quickly and bolted for the quad. Alice watched her in the hallways, unknown to Marie. [I wonder why she is so sad? I can't see any scenario in which I can get her to talk to me.]

Alice wandered back to the lunchroom and Jasper's side, scheming away to try to make Marie open up from her shell.

**_+_+_+_+_+_**

Rogue left the stall and found a quiet spot in the quad, under the staircase at the far end of the administration building. [Funny, I guess I always was a stairwelly]

Rogue pressed herself as far against the brick wall as she could, effectively hiding her from view to anyone not already under the stairs, but she could thankfully see out. Something that seemed to stick with her was a need to have control over her surroundings. Seeing no one was even out of the lunch room yet, she relaxed against the wall.

She pulled out her black moleskin journal from her bag, and carefully went into mind. She looked at the doors of her characters, and found that one was rattling more than the others.

[Erik, would you like to join me for a minute] She gently called through the door, unlocking the padlock and steeling herself against his powerful presence. He was, after all, second only to Logan in mental fortitude. He suddenly appeared, dressed to the nine's as usual in a black cape, fine linen pants, and a black dress shirt. He appeared, contrary to his mental cage, relatively calm and controlled.

_Yes, Rogue?_

[Well Erik, let's get to the point. You need a release.]

His form started to gesture a weak protest, but she raised her hand to stop him.

[ I can't offer you powers, but I can offer you a pen and paper. Take care of your thoughts – I know this is hard on you. You have half an hour.]

Erik smiled to himself and nodded his thanks. Before she settled down into her own mental oasis, she reminded him of the 'rules' she had for each of her characters. [Please control yourself, I am at a school at the moment.]

After years of dealing with these voices, she had learned that the best way to get peace was to give up a small measure of control to each, for a short period of time. Just like a normal person, they too needed an outlet for their thoughts from time to time.

_I am well aware of where we are Rogue. You do not hide your destinations well. Regardless, thank you for the reprieve. Your American school system reminds me too much of the oppressive Nazi regime. _

When Rogue 'awakened' from her slump, she suddenly sat with perfect posture. Grabbing the pen and notebook, she began writing, with her left hand, in a strange, foreign script across the notebook, humming, of all things, the Polish National Anthem.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_

"Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, I want to break Rogue out of her shell. We should quit pretending top eat and go talk to her."

"Why all the meddling over some human? This is ridiculous!" replied Rosalie, in an even but bored tone.

"Because Rosalie, some of us aren't totally self-absorbed. Besides, she's cute, and trust me when I say she is worth it."

"Well don't expect me to help out. And keep the secret Alice, we don't want to start anything with the Volturi."

"Come on boys, we have a girl to catch!"

Alice leaped up from the table, followed immediately by Emmett and Jasper, and they dumped their trays full of untouched food into the garbage and headed towards the quad.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_

Unfortunately, Erik was not as concerned with appearances as Rogue tended to be, and he failed to notice the approach of three swiftly moving bodies. Fortunately, Logan did.

_Hey Mags, you've got company._

'Erik' looked up at the approaching mob of people, not recognizing them. [Rogue dear, your memories of today would be useful right now.]

_The girl is Alice. She's pretty nice. The boy on the right is Emmett, I met him, or more like ran into him this morning. I do not recognize the boy on the left. _

[Let us hope that they are not coming towards us.]

Much to his annoyance, they were and did.

"Hi Marie! I wanted to introduce you to two of my brothers."

"Good day, Alice. I believe, Emmett, that we have already been introduced." 'Rogue' stated.

[Her southern accent's gone. How weird, it was so prominent earlier today. She sounds like she has a more British English, much like Carlisle. Odd.] Alice thought, before replying, "Oh wonderful. Emmett is my older adopted brother. And this is my other adopted sibling, Jasper."

'Rogue', in an attempt to follow traditional custom, stuck out her gloved hand to shake with Jasper, but upon seeing his discomfort, withdrew and smiled. "Pleasant to meet you Jasper."

[My my Rogue. What do we have here. All their irises are quite gold – not quite like Mystic's, but more of a shining color. Are they...]

_No Erik I don't think so. Now stop dawdling and get us out of here before they get suspicious. I need control before class begins anyway._

"Right, well then. Thank you Alice, but I do need to get ready for class." said 'Rogue', while subtly putting away the journal. She grabbed the backpack, and carried it by its handle at her side. Annoyed, she walked towards the restroom she had retreated to earlier in the day as quickly as she could without seeming rude.

[**You** **owe me Rogue. **I need more time.]

_I know, I know._

__+_+_+_+_+_+__

The vampires watched Marie run off, standing completely still in a state of surprise. Finally, Alice spoke up.

"Jasper, are you okay?"

He took in a deep breath, and gave her a weak smile. "She is so different Alice. When I try to feel her, I get such a scrambled response. I feel like an AM receiver trying to read FM radio."

"Why didn't you shake her hand?" Emmett asked.

"She was terrified, that much I am sure of. I don't know why though."

"Do you think she knows?" Rosalie came out of nowhere, but none of her siblings were surprised. Jasper scrunched up his face as he thought about her reaction, before he replied in a soft voice.

"No, it wasn't a fear of me. She was already frightened when we came up to her. But sticking her hand out was when that emotion spiked."

"Was it just me, or did she have an English accent like Carlisle?" Emmett asked, seemingly out of curiosity.

Rosalie replied, "Yes, that was the Polish National Anthem she was humming. I recognize it from my doctorate in foreign policies of world ward two."

"She sounded Southern this morning when she ran into me and Rosalie." Emmett wondered out loud.

"I don't know what's going on, but I intend to find out." Alice replied, and left in the direction Marie took, intending to find out what secrets her new friend was hiding.

_+_+_+_+_+_

Once inside the restroom, Rogue went straight to the handicapped stall and sat on the closed lid.

_I am sorry Erik, but I need to be there for my classes. I promise if my Biology class is easy, I will let you journal again. But only if its safe. Deal?_

Instead of a response, Rogue quickly became aware of her own senses, and noticed the door swinging open. "Rogue, is something wrong?"

Pulling herself together, she stepped out of the stall and smiled at Alice more brightly than she felt. "Of course, Alice. Ah'm just fine. Why'dja ask?"

Alice's brow scrunched up. [Her accent is back again. I was right.] "Oh nothing, I was just a little concerned after you ran off."

[And Jasper couldn't read you very well, so I was hoping you were okay.] she mentally added. "I just thought I'd walk you to your next class."

"Sure Alice, let's go. I have Biology with Mr. Banner in F6."

"Oh your lucky. That building has a working heater. You shouldn't be so cold."

"What makes you think Ah'm cold, Alice?"

"Your gloves of course. That and those long sleeves. I assumed that since you are from the South, you might be a little cold."

Rogue looked startled for a second, but quickly recovered. [Trust me sugar, its freakin' hot in here. Can't help my own phobias though; old habits do die hard.]

"Oh yeah, well Ah doubt it. Ah'm always cold." To play up her lie, Rogue shivered her shoulders.

Alice looked at her strangely, but then smiled. "Ok we're here. Looks like you get your own seat today, but normally, my brother Edward has this class."

"That's great. Well, see you around Alice."

"Ok Marie, see you."

Marie walked into the room and headed straight to the front desk, avoiding the looks of other students that hadn't seen her yet today. Mr. Banner looked her over briefly, his stare lingering on her skin-colored leather gloves. "Ms. Soil-you, gloves are not acceptable in this science classroom. You will need to do a lot of detailed work."

Rogue looked terrified for a moment, and quickly replied, "Oh but Mr. Banner, Ah can do anything with them on. Ah promise." She batted her eyelashes at the teacher, trying her hardest to convince him. "If Ah screw up, Ah'll take 'em off, Ah promise. But please let meh keep 'em on. My hands are really sensitive from some burn scars, and it hurts to touch just about anything."

Mr. Banner sighed, looking straight into Rogue's pleading eyes, and slowly nodded. "Alright. You may keep them for now. Please be careful with the equipment though; we don't have a lot of spares." With that he signed her paper, and began to introduce her to the class.

"Class we have Ms. Anna Soil-you" Rogue blushed furiously, interrupting "Actually, its pronounced swal-low."

Mr. Banner glared at her before continuing. "As I was saying, she will be joining us for the remainder of the school year." He looks down at the class roster before scanning the room. "Normally, you would be Edward Cullen's partner, but he appears to be absent today. Your seat is the one in the back left corner."

Rogue nodded towards the professor, ignoring his lecture as it droned on. When he wheeled out the TV cart, she grabbed her notebook out of her bag, and to the average observer, appeared to doodle for the rest of the class.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

End chapter 3


	4. 4: Day 1, closure

A/n: I still have only received 2 reviews, and I don't know if its because the story is bad or just because the main character is non-twilight. Please let me know, even if its just a few words, if you are liking this series!

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. The last few hours of her first school day.

[Person's personal thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

End chapter 3

Rogue's final class of the day was P.E., but thankfully , the coach didn't make her dress in. Instead, she told her where she needed to pick up her uniform and let her sit in the bleachers while the class played indoor soccer together. [Great, just what I need. A class that requires lots of contact. Even Danger Room sessions were better than this. At least they were fully clothed, and usually freakin' solo.]

"Hi Marie!" Rogue groaned inwardly as she heard the boy from earlier today call out to her. Forcing a smile, she replied "Hey Emmett; you skippin' the workout today?" as she walked, or more trudged, over to where he was sitting, backpack in hand.

"Nah, I don't join. I have a heart problem." He said this with a smile, almost like it was an inside joke. [If only I could have had that kind of confidence about my, 'skin' problem.]

They were quickly joined by the blonde that she had seen him with this morning, who introduced herself as Rosalie and also claimed a heart problem. She too, had the strange golden eyes. [I wonder why Edward is so different – the rest of their family has these eyes, but his are more like Sabretooth's than Mystique's.]

"So what brings a Southern bell like you to a town like Forks, Marie?" asked Emmett. Rosalie appeared totally uninterested as she sat behind him, laying her head on his shoulder in a very affectionate manner. Rogue's eyes burned, but she refused to cry. [Bobby and I should be like that. We should be happy right now. ]

"My parents passed away, and Ah decided Ah wanted to live with family, so my Uncle Charlie took meh in." This was the lie she had been using all day, after all, there was a major gasp in time she failed to mention, but her voice still broke as she recalled how kind it was of Charlie to take her in, and how horrific her parents' death had been. Only Charlie knew that there was a significant gap between their deaths and her arrival, and she intended to keep it that way.

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that. Are you enjoying Forks so far?" he seemed nice and genuinely interested, so Rogue answered as honestly as she could.

"It's not home, but it feels okay." [Nothing is as home as Xavier's was. But I can't got back there, ever.] She shook her head, "It is kind of cold though, but Ah'm getting' used to it."

Emmett and Rosalie laughed, a beautiful harmony that Rogue tried to cherish while it lasted. "Yes, I'll bet it is much cooler here. But you are lucky, the summer is warmer, and sunny." He seemed to linger on this note for a while, so Rogue took it as a dismissal and grabbed her journal.

She made sure Emmett was distracted [I wonder if anyone will ever love me like that again?] by Rosalie planting kisses along his neck and upper back. [God they look so in love.]

She started doodling, and ended up drawing Forks high school, only with a barbaric appearing outer fence, and armed guards at the entrances. Without realizing it, she had drawn the whole hour, and at the end, only had a Nazi death camp to show for it.

"You certainly do have a hand for art, Marie." Rogue dropped her journal and jumped as she heard a sing-song female voice far too close to her ear, to her bare skin, and scuttled away on the bleachers hyperventilating. Rosalie looked amused and then blank in the face as Rogue caught her breath.

"Thank ya Rosalie. Oh look at the time; Ah guess Ah'd better get going. See ya tomorrow!" Grabbing her bookbag and without looking back, she ran out the gym [Why can't I get over this fear of people? I know I'm not dangerous anymore. I'm cured.]

Rosalie laughed to herself as she watched the obviously frightened girl run away, and noticed the neglected black notebook. She picked it up with curiosity and began to flip through it, noting the variety of languages and several different and distinct handwriting styles, but much to her dismay, Emmett grabbed it from her and snapped it shut. She pouted. "Now Rose, it isn't polite to invade someone else's privacy, no matter how entertaining they are."

"But Emmett, don't you find it the least bit interesting that her drawing was an exact replication of the Auschwitz Camp entrance?" [Something is very strange about her] she mentally added on, though he couldn't hear it.

"Rose, leave it be. Not all humans are perky and happy. Let's go to the car before Edward decides to leave us again though." [Besides, I want to ask him what he got off of her today. What is going on in that head of hers?]

Rogue rushed to the administration office to drop off her paperwork, and then headed in a half-jog, half-walk to the emptying parking lot. [I just want to get out of here.] It surprised her that a day that started off so dull ended with more close calls than she cared to recount.

_I believe you forgot something Rogue_

[What is it Erik?]

_Where is the journal?_

Rogue paused mid-stride, then slung her pack over her shoulder and started looking through it for her journal. [Oh fuck. That will raise some questions. Where did I leave it? Is my name even in it?]

Rogue started to panic and ran back towards the gym. As she swung open the door, she came face to face with Emmett and Rosalie. [Great, just who I want to see right now.] She forced a smile "Hi y'all. Excuse me, but Ah got to go get somethin'" she blurted out quickly, trying to get around them.

She squeaked at the hand on her arm. _Calm down Rogue. You can't hurt him anymore; besides, you're wearing sleeves._

She took a deep breath and looked up at Emmett, but before she could say anything, he produced in his other hand the dark moleskin-bound set of papers she was missing. "Did you leave this, Marie?" he asked, his penetrating gaze seeming to question her about more than just the notebook that was obviously hers.

"Oh. Uhh, well thank ya Emmett. Ah was worried Ah'd lost it." She quickly snatched it from him and stuffed it deep into her pack. [Erik how could you let me forget that. What if they read it?]

_My entries are in Polish, Rogue. I doubt these two could even identify Poland on a map - they seem a little too interested in mapping out each other. You are fine._

[Your entries may be in Polish, but not all of **theirs** are.]

Emmett watched as Rogue's lips made minute movements, almost as though she was speaking to herself. He looked to Rosalie, who nodded indicating she, too, had noticed the odd behavior. He cleared his throat to get Rogue's attention.

She briefly looked annoyed before she blushed deeply and shook her head. "Oh sorry about that. Ah musta spaced out for a second. Anyway, thanks again. See y'all tomorrow!"

She bounded back out the gym door before they could stop her.

"Rose...?"

"I know Emmett. Let's wait to talk about it until we return home. Okay?"

Rogue made it to her truck and headed back to Charlie's [Back Home].

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

While Rosalie and Emmett made their way towards the shiny Volvo at a pitifully human speed, they noticed Alice and Jasper were in a heated, vampire-speed discussion.

"She is too suspicious, Alice. She was extremely cautious around all of us today."

"Jasper, just because I cannot clearly see where this will end up does **not** mean that I cannot read her like any normal person. You are wrong; she isn't a threat."

"Brother, sister." Emmett said softly but firmly, "Let's continue this discussion at home, not in a **public** parking lot." Rosalie was already getting into the backseat, and the four quickly sped away, towards the Cullen mansion.

Esme and Edward were waiting for them in the living room as they arrived.

[_She is too dangerous]_

_[She was so strange today – why was her voice constantly changing?]_

_[I've never been around someone with so many emotions, but she hid them as the day went on. I couldn't even feel her in the parking lot.]_

_[__**Edward, I am sorry about this morning – I didn't see that reaction.]**_

Edward nodded his head towards Alice and smiled, to show that he heard her and didn't blame her for the holes in her foresight. Esme unnecessarily cleared her throat, "So I take it you had an interesting day at school children?"

"She could be a threat Esme. This new girl – she is too cautious of us, and too hard to read."

"Eddie, did you get a read off of her this morning before trying to rip her throat off?"

"Emmett" shouted both Rosalie and Esme.

"No 'Em-bear', I didn't. I could have been too far away, but I don't think that was the case. Jasper what do you think?"

"I cannot get a clean read off of her – she reads like she is at least 5 different people."

"Jasper, you cannot make that kind of a judgment. She acted fine around me, a little touch-shy, but not like a threat."

A Mercedes pulled into their driveway then, and stopped just short of the house. Carlisle was in on the argument less than 2 seconds after his car engine died. Seeing the tense faces, some downright murderous, that he walked in on, he stepped into the center of the circle of vampires, and in a calm voice, asked his wife, "So, what did I miss?"

After the situation was explained, the Cullens and Hales debated for hours as to what should be done, the final decision was made, by none other than Rosalie.

"Let's just leave this pathetic human girl alone. She seems suicidal anyway - her journal was so morbid - I am sure she won't be around for too long anyway. If Edward, Jasper, or any of us for that matter get a more clear indication that she is learning too much, we will deal with it then. But this debate has gone in circles for hours, and I would like some time with my mate before I have to fling myself among a bunch of hormonal adolescents." She practically growled out the last sentence, making everyone but Emmett take a swift step away. The two flew up the stairs, indicating their role in this debate was over for now.

"Edward, dear, will you be able to handle yourself at school tomorrow?"

Edward looked to Carlisle and Esme, who were both thinking the same thing, though only Esme had voiced the question out loud. He nodded slightly, "After all, how can I let some 'pathetic human' keep me from my life. I wasn't expecting it this morning – I am sure I will be better controlled tomorrow. I am hunting again tonight before classes tomorrow just to be sure." He looked to his parental figures for approval, which they both gave after only a slight hesitation, and then left to hunt.

[I don't need to hunt though. If I desensitize myself to her scent, she won't be so hard to be around. Maybe I will be able to read her if I et close enough.]

Without realizing it, Edward's direction switched away from the North - Eastern-ly direction that would have led him into the Olympics, and ventured back into Forks, and right into Chief Soulieau's yard. Bella's truck and the cruiser were both their, and a quick check to his senses told him the chief was already asleep, as was the human girl. [Marie]

Rather than proceed right inside, he walked to the girl's truck instead, opening the unlocked door and inhaling deeply. Her scent was already starting to fade, but a faint magnolia, steel, and woodsy smell permeated his nostrils. Venom pooled in his mouth [maybe this was a bad idea].

"No, no"

The sound was faint, but Edward's exceptional hearing picked up Marie's distressed cries. He circled the house, and finding her window, let himself in, only too find the girl squirming as though she was being tortured. He tried to read into her head, but couldn't hear anything from her. Her cries worsened.

"Please stop, please, NOOOO." With a bloodcurdling cry she sat straight up and ripped her pillow in half, her mouth wide open in now-silent scream as tears poured from her eyes and down her face. Edward moved out of her line of sight, and further into the shadows of her room, observing her shocked state before a knock on the door broke her from her revere.

"Anna? Are you okay in there honey?"

Obviously flustered, she furiously wiped her face of her tears, cleared her throat and replied in a shaky and soft voice, "Sorry for wakin' ya Uncle Charlie. Justa 'notha bad dream. Go back ta sleep. Love ya."

Hearing him sigh and turn down the hall, she breathed a sigh of relief and took in her surroundings, not noticing the completely still statue occupying the corner of her room. Staring at her destroyed pillow's remnants, her breathing and heart rate became more steady and slowed to the point that Edward thought she had fallen asleep, except for her still-upright posture.

She slide out of bed and walked over to her bookbag, pulling out a black, moleskin book and returned to her bed. Edward watched as she sketched the Statue of Liberty, up in flames and crumbling down. She didn't fall back asleep, and Edward didn't leave.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

end of chapter 4


	5. 5: Day 2 a tentative friendship begins

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

A/n: Still desperate for reviews. Sorry about the long wait – finals and last minute grading have kept me too busy. Thanks to my 2 new reviewers – 'Red red red ribbon' and 'leadistoxis2' – the update is here! To previous reviewers 'The voice of' and 'Minxmessenger', I hope I haven't lost you. Rogue's powers will be coming back – but you'll have to wait and see when.

I am going to try to speed up my timeline after this chapter – I would like for things to move a little faster now that I have the basic introductions to characters over with. All suggestions and comments are welcome – even flames. Also, I know I switch between calling the main character 'Marie' and 'Rogue'. I am trying to convey POV here. She thinks of herself as Rogue, but others only know her as Marie. Let me know if this is too confusing and I'll switch to just one of them.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. Day 2 at Forks high school.

[Person's personal thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=**

**beep-beep beep-beep.**

**Beep-Beep beep-beep.**

**BEEP-BEEP BE...**

Rogue reached over to her nightstand and slammed her alarm clock's snooze button. [Well there goes another night's sleep, thanks to] /looks down at her sketchpad/ [probably more than one of us.]

_My apologizes Rogue_

_Sorry Marie._

[It's alright. None of us can help it. Poor Charlie is probably not getting much sleep though. Maybe I can go by the local clinic and get some sleep aides.]

Rogue shut the book and got out of her bed. She went to stretch, but shivered instead. She walked over to the slightly open window and shut it. [Strange, I don't remember opening the window last night]

_That's because you didn't Marie. Something smells funny_

Rogue looked around the room, but not seeing anything out of place, she decided it was weird, but not of concern. [Maybe another one of you did it.]

She did her mental exercises while doing yoga. Her characters a little easier to quiet today than they were yesterday, in spite of the nightmare [or memory] the night before.

Charlie was gone again when Rogue went downstairs. Seeing the time, she headed to school right away, and went straight for the quad. Unlike yesterday, it was not empty – teeming with students waiting for classes to start. She saw, and failed to avoid, Alice, a bronze-haired boy, and a blond-haired boy. Unlike Alice and her brother, the bronze-haired boy's eyes were black like Sabretooth's.

_The blond one is Jasper. He is supposedly the girl's adopted sibling._

[Thanks Erik.]

Smiling but carefully gripping her backpack shoulder straps so that she wouldn't need to shake hands, "Hey y'all."

"Hi Marie. This is Edward, another one of my siblings. He's in our grade." Alice gestured to Edward, who glared at Rogue but was smiling.

[His eyes. Maybe it isn't a family thing after all. Then again, they are all adopted.]

Rogue nodded towards Edward, "Nice ta meet ya. Sorry to hear you were sick yesterday." She relaxed only slightly when she realized he wasn't going to try to shake her hand.

"Nice to meet you as well, Marie." he said, his face oddly stiff.

**Ring Ring Ring. **

**Ring Ring Ring.**

"Well, I guess we'd better head to class. Want to walk with me Marie?"

"Sure."

"See you guys at lunch." Jasper gave Alice a quick one-armed hug, before she looped her arm through Rogue's and started dragging her in the direction of their 'Advisory Period.'

Rogue subtly but swiftly moved her arm out of Alice's, staring at and adjusting her gloves, which today we kid-gloves that ended at the wrist. "So, what's the deal with you and Jasper?"

Alice looked a little startled, but said, "Well, we are kind of going out."

Not wanting Alice to feel awkward, Rogue looked up and replied, "Oh that's cool. Must be convenient to live together." [I should know.] "Are your foster parents okay with it? Do they know" [I hope I'm not being too nosey.]

"They are pretty cool about it." Alice smiled, almost a smirk.

[Hmm I wonder what the story is there] added Rogue mentally, looking back down.

Rogue's days seemed to fly by. No one talked to her, but she didn't mind. [I don't need friends – I have plenty in my head as it is.]

Before she knew it, it was lunch. Before leaving the now-empty classroom, Rogue decided to take stock of her mental state. [Does anyone need an outlet before I continue with the day?]

_If you don't mind, Marie, I could use some time. That dream of ours last night put me in a bit of a funk, and the weather ain't helping._

[No problem Logan. Do you mind if I eat first?]

_Sure, sure. Just don't forget about me darlin'._

Rogue found the lunchroom on her map before leaving. On the way, she ran into Alice again, who was thankfully unaccompanied.

"Hi Marie!"

"Oh hi Alice. Heading to lunch?"

Alice smiled, "Yeah. You coming?"

"Yeah. I figured I'd grab some food. I skipped breakfast because I overslept."

Alice nodded absentmindedly, and they walked into the lunchroom together.

It was busy inside, extremely busy. There was a long line of students, heading towards the food line, and two cashiers. The line was halfway to the door, and most of the tables were full. Students were bumping up against one another in line, at the tables, and everywhere in between. Rogue panicked, wringing her hands together.

[How am I going to avoid contact with all these people?]

_Calm down, dear. You are fully clothed. And, that degree of self-awareness is no longer necessary._

Erik's words, though true, did little to help calm Rogue's nerves, at least before Alice noticed.

"Is everything alright Marie? You look like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs." Alice said, stepping in between Rogue and the cafeteria.

Rogue looked down from Alice's probing eyes at the floor. [Get real Rogue. Calm down. It's okay; you can't hurt them. Calm down.]

She looked up to see Alice's concerned stare, and realizing she had been asked a question, quickly replied, "Oh Ah'm fine Alice. Justa' little claustrophobic with all-a' tha people around. Sorry, Ah guess that's-a' little weird,ain't it?"

Alice look back at her, thoughtful, before shaking her head and replying, "No it's not. Want me to get your food for you?"

_Quit being so ridiculous, sheila. _Rogue blushed a little at John's comment, and her own behavior. _You'd think you're a beaten pup instead of an x-mutant that could take down any mutant in the world in a few seconds._ Her face slipped into a frown at that, "No Alice. I'll be alright."

Alice gave her another quizzical look before apparently giving up and turning towards the line. "Let's go then, shall we?"

They navigated the line quickly; Rogue got brushed a few times, but managed to suppress her flight urge. Alice stacked her plate with food – pizza and salad, Jello with what might be fruit in it, a roll and a milk box. Rogue only grabbed the things that looked edible – which was essentially the roll, a Jello that had a very small fruit chunk in the bottom, and a milk box.

She followed Alice to her table, and realized that she was sitting with all her foster siblings – Edward, Jasper, and Emmett, and Emmett's girlfriend Rosalie. They stared at her as she approached the table, all smiling except for Rosalie, who quickly looked down at her food and began to pick it apart.

Before she had to be awkward, Alice piped in, "Hey you guys. Marie decided to join us for lunch today."

Rogue quickly appended, "Well, for a little while anyway. I'm just going to eat and run, if you don't mind. I'd like to, uh, journal a little before the next class."

Alice nodded and sat down across from Jasper, leaving the only empty seat in between her and Edward, and across from Emmett. She sat down and started picking apart her roll. [Typical, burned on the outside and undercooked on the inside.]

"So Rogue, how are you liking Forks?"

She looked up at Edward, "It's okay. A little rainy and cold, but quaint at least. It's a lot like home."

"Where are you from?"

"Mississippi."

"What brought you up here?" Edward asked next.

She looked down, [I knew someone was going to ask] and forcing her voice to be steady replied, "Ma parents... passed away... and Charlie took meh in." She blinked away her tears and gave him a half-smile. "Sorry it's still kind-a hard ta talk about." [Especially since it was my fucking fault.]

Jasper butted in, changing the subject "So have you ever been through Texas?"

Rogue smiled at him, "Yeah quite a few times, actually. I really like San Antonio. You know Texas?"

"I'm originally from the South too. I used to love Houston. It's changed a bit since I lived there though." He smirked.

"Houston's okay. I liked their museums, and they had a lot of concerts there." Rogue smiled, and ate the little bit of Jello that wasn't contaminated with the fruit-like chunk.

"So do you like shopping?" Alice added.

Rogue groaned quietly and shrugged, "It's okay." [Jubilee and the mall – what an experience.] "One of my friends was a big mall-rat and always dragged me with her when she went. This town seems too small to have a big shopping center though."

"Well, Port Angeles isn't too far, and there is always Seattle." The conversation lulled briefly, giving Rogue the opportunity to down her milk. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she stood up and said "Well. It's been nice to see y'all again. Enjoy your lunch." She noticed none of them had actually eaten yet [Maybe they were too busy talking.]

"Wait! What are you doing this weekend? Want to go shopping with me Friday after school's out? I'd love to have some company." Alice looked up at her with a very doe-like expression, which honestly look bizarre given her golden eyes.

[Crap. I guess I walked right into that one.] "Umm, sure. I'll have to okay it with Charlie though. Do you have a car?"

"Yes. Ooo this will be so much fun! I can't wait to dress you up." Alice laughed at Rogue's face, which was now holding a near-horror expression. "Oh I'm kidding. I'll be nice."

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." Rogue walked – quickly – away from their table, dumped her tray, and bolted from the cafeteria. She went back to her hidden spot under the staircase and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes.

[Logan?]

_I'm here. My turn?_

[Not quite. I am really sorry, but lunch was longer than I thought it would be. I can give you biology if you want it; we are supposed to be finishing a video today.]

_I'll take whatever you can give me, Marie._

[Thanks Logan.]

The bell rang and Rogue jumped up headed to her Biology class. The classroom was still empty – except for Mr. Banner – and he sat down in her pre-assigned seat, pulling out her journal as she saw that the TV was still in the front. As she was pulling out a pen, the chair next to her was pulled out and Edward sat down.

[Please don't talk to me.] "So I guess we have this class together, huh?" He said at her, smiling and looking her straight in the eye.

Rogue lost her train of thought for a second. _Jesus Marie, could you be any more girly?_ She snapped out of the trance with a scowl, but replied sweetly, "Yeah that's what Alice said yesterday I think. You missed out on the video, but it was really simple anyway. Just mitosis and cell cycle stages."

He didn't look concerned. "Can I get your notes?"

Rogue stared back at him a little perplexed. [He doesn't really seem worried. Oh well, I didn't take notes anyway.] "I didn't take any, sorry. I already covered this material and then some in my previous school." She shrugged and went back to searching for a pen.

"Oh. Were you in an advanced class then?" his voice sounded honestly curious.

"Yeah, something like that." [Being that the first science course you take at Xaviers is basically 'what is a mutant and why it isn't your fault' course.] She smirked. "You could say my previous teacher was really interested in cell biology and genetics." She found her pen an looked up. The class was now full, just in time, as the bell rang.

"Today we are going to continue the video on mitosis and cell reproduction that we started yesterday. Pay attention – I will be testing this material soon." Mr. Banner turned down the lights and started the movie, then sat in his desk and appeared buried in a book.

Rogue looked down at her journal, but a note was laid on top. In elegant script, the following was written:

- _I wanted to apologize for Alice's behavior. She can be a handful sometimes. If you do not want to go with her, I can let her know. She wont be too upset_.-

Rogue looked at the note, up at Mr. Banner, who was still engrossed in his novel, and then at Edward. She scribbled back:

- _It isn't really your place to do that. Besides I don't mind, really. I'm sure she'll be fun. _-

Rogue handed him back the note. When he didn't move to write anything on it, she closed her eyes and called for Logan.

[**Alright Logan** you may come out now.]

Marie's body slumped, and then shift into a more masculine, truck-driver-esk posture.

Before opening her journal, she noticed she had the boy next to her's attention. [Looks like you got a fan, Marie. Mind if I scare him off?]

_I don't really care; He doesn't even like me anyway._

Whispering as to not be heard over the video, 'she' said "Do you mind? I think you got a notebook of your own bub." She sternly looked at him, and he gasped before looking away.

_Nice Logan. _

[Putting people off is what I do best, darlin']

She started writing in her notebook, right-handed, but in French. She wrote in her journal for the rest of the class, Logan recalling something in WWII that her dream last night had reminded him of.

_I have half a mind to give the real Logan this journal someday, if only so he can see some of this stuff from his past that he's forgotten_. As Mr. Banner cut off the video, Marie slumped again, and this time come back with her more familiar, slightly slouched posture.

"How was the nap?" Edward asked her politely.

[Did I look like I was napping to you? Remembering how many innocent civilians you may or may not have killed can do that to you.]

"Oh Ah'm fine. Thanks though. See ya tomorrow." The bell rang and before he could ask anything else, she took off.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

**beep-...**

Edward leaped across the room, lifted the window, and almost completely shut it before the first ring finished. [How could I forget that she would have an alarm clock. Of course she has to go to school today. So do I!]

He was at the edge of the forest before she shut the alarm clock off. He heard her get out of the bed, and then shut the window. He held his breath as he waited, and gave a deep sigh of relief when he heard her moving around in her room at a normal pace. [Older windows can't withstand the force of being shut so quickly. Thankfully she didn't notice. Time to go hunt.] He ran into the woods, tracking the woodland berry smell that promised of deer.

After hunting, he headed back to the Cullen house. He was bombarded at the front door with a concerned Esme.

"Where were you all night?"

Knowing there was no point in lying – it wasn't like they could actually punish him anyway – he was honest, "I went to the new human's house to desensitize myself to her scent."

Carlisle replied, "Was that really a wise idea son? What if you had lost control?"

Alice bounded down the stairs while he was talking, and covered for Edward, "He wouldn't. I saw that he would keep control. He's going to be able to come to school today, too; aren't you Edward?"

"Yes."

The Cullen siblings went to school together in Edward's Volvo. Before they got out of the car, Alice spoke, "Edward, would you and Jasper join me in the Quad? Marie is there, and I'd like to introduce you to her before lunch."

"Alice! What are you doing? She shouldn't be joining us for lunch." Rosalie said.

"Rose, give me a break. She is and you will behave." said Alice, the last bit coming out with a small snarl.

Jasper grabbed Alice's hand and pulled her from the car. "Why do you have to bother her like that?"

"She is too self-centered for her own good."

They walked to the quad at a human pace, with Edward trailing behind them. As they got closer, Jasper reached behind him and grabbed Edward's arm. _**Are you okay**_

Edward looked at Jasper, "I'll be fine."

Jasper gasped, _**Your eyes are black. Are you sure you're in control?**_

Edward shrugged out of Jasper's grasp and gave him a knowing look, and Alice led them straight to Marie, who looked a little flustered. Her eyes focused quickly, staring at Edward briefly before locking on on Alice.

[Just don't breathe. Why can't I read her? She's like static, but she came in so clearly yesterday. I am almost sure it was her.]

Smiling but carefully gripping her backpack shoulder straps, she said "Hey y'all."

_**She has a cute accent, doesn't she.**_ (Alice)

_**She is really nervous, and slightly scared. She's also annoyed. **_(Jasper)

"Hi Marie. This is Edward, another one of my siblings. He's in our grade." Alice gestured to Edward, who glared at Rogue but was smiling.

[She smells so much better awake and moving around. Don't attack, don't attack. Think of Esme and Carlisle.]

Marie nodded towards Edward, "Nice ta meet ya. Sorry to hear you were sick yesterday." She relaxed her posture a little.

"Nice to meet you as well, Marie." he said, his face oddly stiff.

[And there goes all my air. Do not attack. Do not attack. Esme, Carlisle.]

**Ring Ring Ring. **

**Ring Ring Ring.**

"Well, I guess we'd better head to class. Want to walk with me Marie?"

_**Edward, your future isn't as clear as I would like. Take Jasper and please go hunting. See you at lunch.**_

Edward nodded towards Alice ever so slightly.

"Sure." replied Marie.

"See you guys at lunch." Jasper gave Alice a quick hug and kiss – too quick for a human to see - before she looped her arm through Marie's and started dragging her in the direction of their 'Advisory Period.'

Marie moved her arm, and Alice quickly let go. She watched as she adjusted her black,biker-like gloves. She seemed a little nervous. "So, what's the deal with you and Jasper?"

[Oh wow. She **is **observant.] ' "_You and Jasper are so perfect for each other." Marie is crying in Alice's lap, her hair has grown out quite a bit. '_

[Well I guess that answers that.] Realizing being honest allowed her to keep this friendship, she replied, "Well, we are kind of going out."

Marie looked up and replied, "Oh that's cool. Must be convenient to live together. Are your foster parents okay with it? Do they know"

Alice smiled [If only you knew.] "They are pretty cool about it." Marie looked away.

Alice's eyes lost focus, '_There is ice on the parking lot. Faces are hard to see. A van careens towards a young girl - her face is clearly Marie's. The vision disappears all together.' _

Alice hid her distraught quickly. She didn't try to talk to Marie after class, and instead focused on her visions.

' _"We all have secrets Alice. If you don't ask about mine, then I won't ask about yours." Marie says while fondly examining a scarf.'_

_' Marie walks into the lunch room, and quickly walks back out, skipping lunch for the second day in a row. '_

_' Edward and Marie are hiking together to a meadow …'_

_' Alice grabs Marie and brings her to lunch; Marie eats quickly and leaves.'_

_' Alice and Marie are driving in her Porshe – Marie comments on the make of the car and engine model. "I am a little surprised you know so much about cars Marie – most girls couldn't care less." Marie replies, "Same could be said for you, Alice." '_

_' Marie misses school for 2 days, and when she returns, she is wearing all black. '_

_' Marie meets Carlisle and Esme...' _

The bell rings pulling Alice out of her last round of visions, and she rushes to where she knows Marie is. "Hi Marie!"

"Oh hi Alice. Heading to lunch?"

Alice smiled, "Yeah. You coming?"

"Yeah. I figured I'd grab some food. I skipped breakfast because I overslept."

Alice nodded absentmindedly, and they walked into the lunchroom together.

The cafeteria was packed as usual. The line was halfway to the door, and most of the tables were full. To her side, Alice realized Marie looked a little panicked, wringing her hands together. [Right, she was going to walk back out. I have to stop her.]

"Is everything alright Marie? You look like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs." Alice said, stepping in between Marie and the cafeteria.

Marie looked down from Alice's probing eyes at the floor. [I wonder what's wrong. Is she germ-a-phobic?]

She looked up to see Alice's concerned stare, and quickly replied, "Oh Ah'm fine Alice. Justa' little claustrophobic with all-a' tha people around. Sorry, Ah guess that's-a' little weird,ain't it?"

[Her accent is a lot stronger when she is nervous.] Alice look back at her - ' _Marie walks out of the cafeteria claiming she isn't hungry anymore. _'

She shakes her head and replies "No it's not. Want me to get your food for you?"

Marie looks a little starry-eyes, before blushing. She abruptly frowns, "No Alice. I'll be alright."

Alice gave her another quizzical look. _' Marie follows Alice to the table...'_ She turns towards the line, letting the vision keep going, and responds, "Let's go then, shall we?"

They moved through the lunchline quickly. Alice grabbed things which she had seen other students pick up; she couldn't actually remember ever eating, but she assumed the pizza must have been good since it was almost gone. She noticed that Marie picked up very little food, and heard her grumble under her breathe, though she of course heard it loud and clear, "Can't believe they call this food. Of all the things they got wrong, the food was always good."

Approaching the table, Alice called out to her siblings, "Hey you guys. Marie decided to join us for lunch today." She quickly moved to sit across from Jasper, leaving the only empty seat next to Edward, and ignoring Rosalie's nearly vicious glare.

Marie looked at Alice and replied, "Well, for a little while anyway. I'm just going to eat and run, if you don't mind. I'd like to, uh, journal a little before the next class."

Marie sat down and picked up the dinner roll, a look of disgust on her face as she picked it apart, still wearing her biker gloves. [Come to think of it, I have never seen her without them. **Hey Edward, you should ask her something, or she will take off on us.**]

"So Rogue, how are you liking Forks?"

She looked up at Edward, "It's okay. A little rainy and cold, but quaint at least. It's a lot like home."

"Where are you from?"

"Mississippi."

_**Edward don't....**_ (Alice)

"What brought you up here?" Edward asked next.

_**Never mind. **_

She looked down, and cleared her throat a little. Without looking up, she said, "Ma parents... passed away... and Charlie took meh in."

Jasper chocked a little_. _Edward gave him a look.

She blinked away her tears and gave him a half-smile. "Sorry it's still kind-a hard ta talk about."

_**Guilt. Uhh, I can't take it. It's too strong,**_Jasper butted in, changing the subject "So have you ever been through Texas?"

Rogue smiled at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah quite a few times, actually. I really like San Antonio. You know Texas?"

"I'm originally from the South too. I used to love Houston. It's changed a bit since I lived there though." He smirked. _**That's an understatement.**_

"Houston's okay. I liked their museums, and they had a lot of concerts there." Rogue smiled, and ate the little bit of Jello that wasn't contaminated with the fruit-like chunk.

_**I wonder why she isn't eating the fruit-bit? **_(Jasper)

_**Why didn't she grab more food?**_ (Emmett)

_**Why is she still wearing her gloves?**_ (Rosalie)

_**Oh no you don't Edward. My mind is not for you to know.**_ (Alice)

"So do you like shopping?" Alice added.

Marie groaned quietly and shrugged, "It's okay. One of my friends was a big mall-rat and always dragged me with her when she went. This town seems too small to have a big shopping center though."

"Well, Port Angeles isn't too far, and there is always Seattle." The conversation lulled briefly, giving Marie the opportunity to down her milk. _**Oh no she's going to take off before I can ask her. **_

Marie glanced at the wall clock, stood up, and said "Well. It's been nice to see y'all again. Enjoy your lunch." She noticed none of them had actually eaten yet.

"Wait! What are you doing this weekend? Want to go shopping with me Friday after school's out? I'd love to have some company." Alice looked up at her with a very doe-like expression.

"Umm, sure. I'll have to okay it with Charlie though. Do you have a car?"

_**Do I have a car. Oh sweetie, I have a Porshe.**_

"Yes. Ooo this will be so much fun! I can't wait to dress you up." Alice laughed at Marie's face, which was now holding a near-horror expression.

'_ "Charlie said he wasn't too sure about it.." ' _

"Oh I'm kidding. I'll be nice."

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." Rogue walked – quickly – away from their table, dumped her tray, and bolted from the cafeteria.

"What was that all about? Are you going to 'hang with the human' now Alice?" Rosalie said, sneering at the word 'human'.

"Well Rosalie, if you weren't such a bitch, maybe you could also take advantage of our lifestyle and seek out other company."

"Rose, be nice. Please?" asked Emmett while rubbing her back.

"You'd better watch what you say around her. I will do anything to protect this family." _**Even if it means killing her.**_ Rosalie stood up.

"Rosalie I don't think that will be necessary. I trust Alice's judgment, and so should you." Edward said defensively.

She huffed and walked off with her tray in hand and Emmett in tow.

Edward turned his gaze back to Alice, "What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing of your concern Edward. Now play nice. I like this girl, and you will too when you give her a chance."

Alice and Jasper left the table, leaving Edward to mull over his own thoughts.

[She doesn't eat much. She never takes off those darn gloves. What could Alice be hiding from me?]

The bell rang and Edward headed to his Biology class. The classroom was mostly empty, but at his usually empty desk sat Marie, who didn't even notice his arrival as she kept rummaging through her bag in search of something.

_I hate this video. Thankfully I brought a book. You can only watch something so many times before it bores you to death._

Realizing today was a video day from Mr. Banner's thoughts, Edward starting forming a plan. [If I get her notes from yesterday, it would give me an excuse to talk to her. Alice and her damned meddling. I shouldn't even be talking to this girl – none of us should.]

He sat down, but pulled his chair to the far end of the desk. [Don't want to sit too close though; she still smells way too good for her own well-being.]

"So I guess we have this class together, huh?" He said at her, smiling and looking her straight in the eyes.

Marie's eyes lost focus for a second, but she snapped back to attention with a scowl, replying "Yeah that's what Alice said yesterday I think. You missed out on the video, but it was really simple anyway. Just mitosis and cell cycle stages."

Without thinking, he replied "Can I get your notes?" [Why did I just do that? I can't get close to this girl. I just need to make sure I don't kill her.]

Rogue stared back at him with a disbelieving look on her face. "I didn't take any, sorry. I already covered this material and then some in my previous school." She shrugged and went back to digging in her bag.

[I wonder if I can talk her into tutoring me. That would be funny. Heh.]

"Oh. Were you in an advanced class then?"

"Yeah, something like that." She smirked. "You could say my previous teacher was really interested in cell biology and genetics." She found her pen an looked up. The class was now full, just in time, as the bell rang.

[What high school course covers genetics? That is college level material.]

"Today we are going to continue the video on mitosis and cell reproduction that we started yesterday. Pay attention – I will be testing this material soon." Mr. Banner turned down the lights and started the movie, then sat in his desk and appeared buried in a book.

_'But, because I couldn't lie convincingly even to myself, I had to check. __As I sat waiting for one of the three traffic lights in town to turn green, I peeked to the right — in her minivan, Mrs. Weber had turned her whole torso in my direction.'_

[Mr. Banner and his foolish romance novels.]

Edward pulled out a pen and paper, and quickly scribbled a note to Marie, laying it on top of the notebook she had sitting out, apologizing for Alice's rambunctiousness at lunch. [Write me back, please?] he mentally told her, even though she couldn't hear, and looked at her with pleading eyes.

Marie looked at the note, up at Mr. Banner, and then at Edward. She scribbled back a short response, saying that she didn't mind Alice at all.

[Well that doesn't leave me with much to build on. What do I say back?]

_**Alright Logan.**_

He could barely perceive this little mental signal, but he still heard it. He watched as Marie's body slumped slightly, her eyes closed. She regained her consciousness quickly, but her posture was now more fitting to someone of a much larger build, and distinctively male.

[Was that her? Is she schizophrenic?]

She reached for her journal on the table, but before opening it, she glared at Edward.

She whispered, "Do you mind? I think you got a notebook of your own bub." She sternly looked at him, and he gasped before looking away.

[She is not Canadian, but she sounds like she just moved her from Alberta. And her eyes changed colors.]

She started writing in her notebook, right-handed, but in French, from what Edward could see. Absentmindedly he wrote and passed her back the note.

She didn't pick it up, too engrossed in whatever she was writing to seem to care. Edward slumped next to her, secretly staring at her through the corner of his eye.

He contemplated his interactions with Rogue for the rest of the class, keeping his mind, thankfully, off of the burning in his throat she was causing. As Mr. Banner cut off the video, he noticed Marie slump again, and this time come back with her more familiar, slightly slouched posture.

"How was the nap?" he asked, knowing she hadn't slept.

An expression he didn't recognize flitted across her features, in fact, he wouldn't have noticed if he didn't have a vampire's ability to observe, before she replied with a smile, "Oh Ah'm fine. Thanks though. See ya tomorrow." The bell rang and before he could ask anything else, she through her notebook, which had his note now safely tucked inside, in her bookbag with her journal and took off.

[Definitely suspicious]

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

End of chapter 5


	6. 6: Day 2 closure, RPOV

_+_+_+_+_+_+_

A/n: WOW! Thanks for all the new reviews. Topper-88, AmayaElika, TuggyAngel08, XxPhantomHalexX, milly125, GardenRiver, -meadows and moonbeams-, XyBulmaXy, anphelps, CriticalAngel, AonGealach, psykojinx, Pyro The Fox of Fire, Iriomote Yamaneko Nokomis, Minxmessenger, and anyone that I may have accidentally left off. I am still trying to figure out what I want to do with some of the future chapters, so if you have any requests, let me know. i am considering leaving out the multiple POVs. Let me know if you agree. Sorry for the delay in update - this has been sitting on my desktop waiting for me to give it a second revision.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. Day 2 and some

[Person's personal thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

_**R-POV**_

Rogue trudged towards the gym in the back of the school with trepidation. [I know I can't hurt anyone anymore. I know it. Why do I still have this irrational fear of hurting someone?]

_Because it's irrational. The only way one can overcome fear is to work through it Rogue. You have nothing to fear from these homo sapiens. _(Erik)

[Yeah, yeah]

"Hi there! You're that new girl, Anna, right?" Rogue turned to her right to see a black-haired boy speaking to her. He looked friendly enough.

"Yah, that's right. I go by Marie. And you are...?"

"I''m Mike Newton. You got gym next?" They were almost at the gym doors. [Way to state the obvious, Mike.]

"Umm, yah. I do. See you in class." Rogue walked into the gym, and towards a door in the back that were clearly marked 'Girls'. Students were already filing in. [Good, not many people in the dressing room then.] She looked over to the stands to see Rosalie and Emmett in each others arms. [Do they ever lay off? Geeze.]

In fact, no one was in the dressing room, and Rogue was able to dress in peace. [I wonder if I can get away with wearing gloves too. I guess it doesn't hurt to try. I mean, if they accept me wearing legging and long sleeves, what's gloves on top of that?]

_Marie. You aren't going to learn to accept yourself if you don't try to break out of the shell you've built. Come on, darlin', loose one of the three._ (Logan)

_Rogue, while I disagree with your decision, Logan here is correct. You should take advantage of it. But I would keep your gloves, if you wish to maintain the illusion of this 'horribly scarred hands' nonsense that your told your witless Biology teacher._ (Erik)

[Alright, fahne. I'll take off the long sleeves. Besides, it is kinda hot in here with all the students and no air conditioning.]

Removing her long sleeved Underarmour shirt, she placed her clothes, and put on the lock. Three girls came out of the bathroom, giggling. They stopped short when they saw Rogue, but she didn't notice.

"So you must be Anna Soil-you," said the one with thin blond hair. She put extra emphasis on Rogue's mispronounced last name, as though she knew she was saying it wrong. A giggle from her friends confirmed Rogue's suspicion.

[Great, what did I do to piss her off?] With a smile, and trying very hard to ignore the hard looks from the other girls, she replied, "Yeah. But I usually just go by Marie. What's your names?" While she said this, she finished putting all her clothes in her locker, making sure to secure the lock firmly.

"I'm Lauren. This is Jessica and Marion. Let's just get straight to the point, Anna. I saw you speaking with the Cullen's yesterday, and I thought you should know that Edward is off limits." She said this in a tone that left no room for debate.

[What?] "I don't know what you mean Lauren."

"What I mean is that he isn't interested in your Southern white-trash ass, Anna. He's mine. And I'm telling you to back off." She enunciated each syllable like she was speaking to a small child.

[Alright Bitch. I was trying to be nice, but you asked for it.] The confusion on Rogue's face was replaced with a rotten-tooth-sweet smile. "Oh I think I understand perfectly, _Lori_."

Rogue stood up and stepped towards Lauren, dropping the smile. "I think you got turned down. Just because you've been turned out like yesterday's garbage by the guy doesn't mean you need to attack me for it. Maybe if you weren't such a _bitch_ he would have been interested, but I can see how your personality would turn anyone off, that is if your waste of a face didn't do the job thoroughly enough in the first place."

Rogue stepped again towards Lauren, who took a steep back, a much more cautious look in her eyes, but Rogue stepped forward enough that the girl would feel her breath in her face, "I may be sweet on the outside, but I wrote the book on being rough and tough, and have been through more shit in the last few years than you have had in all your worst dreams combined. Don't fuck with me. And the name's _Marie._" With that, Rogue smiled at Lauren's friends, and walked through the doorway into the gym.

The students in the gym were separated into male/female students. Rogue walked towards the female students, and a few moments, later, Lauren and her friends joined the mob. The coach came out, and after leading them through stretches, announced that today was a free day. [Thank God.]

She watched as Lauren's clique gathered around Mike Newton, and a few other boys. [Good, now he'll leave me alone.]. Rogue walked over to the mats on the far end of the gym – only a few girls were there, mostly talking, while one of them was walking the balance beam.

"Hey, do ya'll mind if I use the mats on this side?"

One of the girls not on the beam looked at Rogue and smiled a genuinely friendly smile, "No not at all. I'm Angela. You're Anna right?"

"Yeah, but I prefer Marie. Thanks. Just let me know if I get in your way."

Rogue redid stretches, pulling longer and harder on her muscles, while humming softly to herself. When she found that she could successfully split without feeling any tension, she stood straight up, paced out 10 steps by 10 steps, and closed her eyes. She started going through katas that she had learned while at the institute. [I don't want to loose this. You never know when this could be handy]

She worked by herself, eyes closed and perfectly focused, until she heard someone very near to hear clear his throat. [What the?] She stumbled back and turned around, opening her eyes. She had quite a crowd gathered around her, [Already in street clothes I see] but the party guilty for her interruption was none other than the coach himself.

"I announced time to dress in 10 minutes ago Ms. Swallow." He had a very tough stance, but like Logan when he was trying to be stern, his eyes sparkled. Regardless, Rogue blushed.

"Sorry Coach. Ah was too... caught up in what Ah was doin'. Ah'll go dress in now."

Before she could dart towards the dressing room, he placed his hand over her bare arm to stopher. "How long have you been taking martial arts?"

[**He touched me**] She spun out of his grasp quicker than he could react, and realized a few second later what he had said. [Oh shit. Logan? I get a lot of this from you, what's a reasonable response?]

_At least 15 years worth Marie. Sorry, I didn't realize you would attract quite that much attention._

[Thanks a lot. Bashful prodigy card it is then.] "Quite a while, sir. Too long ta remember exactly. Why'dja ask? Do ya think Ah'm any good?" She carefully kept out of his arm's reach, clutching her hands to herself to cover up what was exposed of her skin. He stared her down, appearing to consider her response.

"Hmm. Why don't you go dress in and come meet me in my office." he turned to address the rest of the student, "And why don't the rest of you get back into the bleachers like..." _bring_ _bring_ _bring_

"Nevermind. Ms. Soileau, my office. 5 minutes."

Sighing, Rogue walked back into the Girl's dressing room, which was truly deserted. [Thank god.] She dressed quickly, and went straight to the coach's office.

"Ms. Soileau, you have extraordinary skills in Martial arts. I am guessing you won't want to tell me how long you've trained, or under whom?" Rogue gave him a stern look, but nodded. "I want to offer you a spot on our Junior ultimate fight team."

Rogue was shocked. [Ultimate fighting? That's a lot of contact, isn't it?] "What is that?"

"Ultimate fighting is free-style fighting. Our school alone is too small to support its own team, so we have a sort of 'district' team. It's school board approved, and we wear some basic safety equipment."

[Really? This sounds like fun.]

_Sounds like you liked the danger room more than you let on, Marie._ (Logan)

_Rogue, you don't need to do this. Besides, it is a lot of one-on-one contact. You could get hurt_ (Bobby)

[Yeah well, its my choice, it isn't that bad. It's not like I'll be fighting mutants. I wonder how many peoples' asses I can kick in a row?]

Rogue's eyes sparkled. "I think that sounds pretty cool, Coach. Can I train during gym instead of playing sports?"

"Yes, thats one of the benefits." he handed her a pamphlet, "This has some more information on the club, when are meetings are and such. I'll need Chief Soileau to sign the permission slip, and for you to get a physical clearance. It also has a daily training regimen that is the minimum I expect you to do to stay in shape, though it doesn't look like you'll need that. Our next meeting is Friday afternoon. That's tomorrow. I'd like the forms back by then, otherwise you can't practice with us. "

"Wow. Thank you so much coach. I'll bring back the forms tomorrow."

"No problem Ms. Soileau. Welcome to the team."

Rogue bounded out of the coach's office, sincerely happy. She was the only one in the parking lot, except for a a shiny Volvo and a few of the Cullen kids. She didn't see Alice among them, so she climbed into her truck and headed home. She walked into the kitchen, and saw that Charlie had left some cash on the counter with a note:

_Feel free to stock the fridge. Be home at 7. Love you. Keep safe.--_

Rogue smiled and grabbed the cash, heading back out. [I think I saw a grocery store on the way into this town on the bus, but I wonder where the clinic is?] At the store, after grabbing ingredients make fried chicken and coleslaw, she asked the girl at the check-stand about a clinic.

"We don't have a clinic per-say. Everyone just goes to the hospital. Its off the main highway, just South of town. You can't miss it."

[Oh fuck me. A hospital is my only choice?] Rogue gave the girl a tight smile, thanked her, and got back into her car. After driving home and putting the food in the fridge, she checked the time.

[I have time to go. Should I go get pills? I mean, I've lived with these nightmares for years; it doesn't bother me that much.]

_You need to get better sleep. And you have to get a health clearance anyway to join this fight club._(Logan)

_You cannot honestly expect that you will be fit enough to fight hand to hand if you aren't taking care of yourself physically._ (Erik)

_Your Uncle deserves a good night's sleep too. He is a cop._ (Bobby)

[Alright alright. I get it. I'll go get sleeping aides. Damn y'all can be so pushy when you want to be.]

She pulled up to the Hospital. [I can do this.] She locked her truck and walked in, asking the receptionist for an appointment for a physical. After being given some paperwork to fill out, she sat down and tried to keep her breathing steady. [This room isn't even that hospital-like. It's okay. Just fill out the paperwork.]

Finally the receptionist called her name, and she was escorted down a white hall with metal bumpers on the sides to a small white room with lots of basic equipment. [Its just like the medlab. Its just like the medlab.]

Rogue was so distracted by trying to convince herself she wasn't going to freak out, she didn't notice the door handle giggling or opening, until the doctor cleared his throat, and she jumped off the little cot and got into a defensive stance. He gave her a curious look, and Rogue immediately stood straight, furious with herself [Like that was normal].

"Hello Ms. Soileau, I'm Dr. Cullen. I see you're here today for a physical exam. May I ask what for?"

Rogue relaxed back onto the cot as she realized he was going to drop her odd behavior. "Oh. Right. Umm, I was invited to join the school's junior ultimate fight team, but the coach said I need to get this form filled out." She handed him the form as she said this.

He talked her through the physical exam, which helped Rogue relax. He was even wearing gloves the whole time, [Probably for his own protection]. When he was done, he took off the gloves.

"Alright Ms. Soileau, you're cleared for fighting. But take it easy; I don't want to have to see you in here for less than pleasant circumstances."

"Actually, Dr. Cullen, I was also wondering if I could get some sleeping medication."

Dr. Cullen looked surprised at this, "Why do you need sleeping medication? Is your insomnia recent?"

"I haven't slept well since my parents died. It isn't a big problem, but it's waking up my uncle."

"Ms. Soileau, I cannot give you a prescription medication for sleeping and still approve you for fighting. The medication would potentially interfere with your balance, timing, and pain response. I'm sorry. I can recommend some over the counter alternatives, if you would like. Perhaps it is temporary. "

Rogue's face fell. [Temporary my ass. 2 years and it never changes. Uncle Charlie's sleep, or fighting?] "Sure Doctor. I'd like that, the list of alternatives I mean."

"Now Ms. Soileau, if your sleeping doesn't get better, you should strongly consider sleeping aides. Maybe it is a deficiency. I can have blood work done if this insomnia is still bothering you a few weeks."

Rogue's face paled. "Oh Ah'm sure that won't be necessary. You're probably right, it's just temporary. Well thanks for the physical Doctor, Ah've gotta go get dinner started." Rouge practically fled from the examination room, and quickly settled her bill with the receptionist.

_Marie..._ (Logan)

**[Don't. **Just don't.]

She drove home in peace, cooked dinner quickly, and had it ready just as Charlie got home. They didn't talk much, and Rogue went to her room after dinner, claiming homework and fatigue.

She grabbed her journal from her backpack, and her and Edward's note from Biology class fell onto her lap. He had added to it without her noticing.

Please forgive me for any offense I may have given you. I meant no harm. May I make it up to you with Dinner Saturday evening? -

[A date? Oh hell no. Although, after Lauren today, I bet that would set her off.]

_Rogue, don't date him. You shouldn't date him just to get back at someone. _(Bobby)

[And whose to say that would be my only reason? Besides it's my fucking choice.] She put her journal back together and tucked the note inside the front panel. "I have work to do tonight anyways.I'll deal with this tomorrow." [As much fun as rubbing this in 'Lori's ' face would be, I am not up for a boy and all the crap that goes with it.]

Rogue shook herself out of the memory and opened up her textbooks, taking a crack at her math homework, with Erik's help of course. She fell asleep on top of her books.

+++ Flashback +++

I grab Kitty as she falls, holding her up by her arm. She is so cute when she smiles up at me. I help pull her up, but she comes up too fast and we both fall when she collapses into me. I hold my breathe – she smells fantastic - and feel her up against me, _all _of me. (Bobby)

Rogue turns away from them and catapults into a different memory.

It's cold outside, and the wind blows in when Dad walks in. More like stumbles. He hits mom, and I hide in the back of my closet, trying to escape her screams as he tears into her. I'm praying he doesn't come for me. (John)

Rogue falls to her knees in her mental scape, and again her surroundings change. But not for the better.

_Leichentärger zu Wache. __Leichentärger zu Wache. Leichentärger zu Wache. _

The announcement sings in my ears like a lullaby. I hear it everyday and wonder, consider, deliberate. What was I doing? This could certainly not be considered living. I could end it all. I started walking towards the guardhouse, and my most certain death, but was stopped at the gates. They had enough for today – I would have to come back tomorrow. (Erik)

Rogue's mental self sobbed. She screamed in her mind, '**Help me. Please, God just make it stop. Please**.'

Her eyes opened and she was home. Her real home. I walk around the house and loosen the gas line. Just did the reverse of what Dad taught me last summer. I walk back inside and wait until I smell the gas. I consider waiting for the pilot lit to re-lite itself. And staying inside. But I chicken out, and just as I walk outside, the stove's electric ignite function clicks on, and my childhood home explodes. I had murdered them, and now I had burned the evidence.

But Bobby's cool arms wrapped around me and he hushed me. He sang to me. Wait, Bobby...

+++ End Flashback +++

Rogue awoke with a shiver and fully alert. Her window was wide open, and she was lying on her bed. Fully dressed, thankfully. [What the hell was that?]

__+_+_+_+__


	7. 7: Day 3: Dodgeball!

Last time:

_Rogue awoke with a shiver and fully alert. [What the hell was that?] Her window was wide open, and she was lying on her bed. Fully dressed, thankfully._

_+_+_+_+_+_+_

A/n: This segment I wanted to try 1st person POV. I have read lots of other people's stories and I generally like it, but I am usually unsuccessful in writing it. Regardless, here is my best shot. Let me know what you think. I considered adding in a surprise Remy appearance, but realized I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to change this into a Remy/Marie piece if I did, so I left it out. Let me know if anyone would like him to show up in a non-important kind of way. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews – you are keeping me encouraged when it comes to updating.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. Dogdeball

[Person's personal thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

_**EPOV**_

[Faster faster faster] I ran from Chief Soileau's house and into the woods, stalling at the edge waiting to hear Marie as she woke up. [God I hope she doesn't realize I left her window open.]

I heard her gasp as she awoke, and then heard nothing. I strained to hear anything, but it appeared she wasn't going to freak out. [May as well head home. I'm sure Alice saw all of that.] The sound of a window shutting and locking reached my ears. [Too easy]

As I ran back to the house, I couldn't help by think of Marie's dreams. [Why did I comfort her? She just sounded so distraught. Who is Bobby? _Leichentärger zu Wache_ Is that German? Maybe Carlisle knows.]

As I came up on the house, I could hear voices arguing. Rosalie's voice loudly resonated through the forest. [What a moment of insight on Esme's part for us to live so far back from the highway.]

"There has to something else going on Carlisle! There is no record of an 'Anna Marie Soileau.' I looked! No birth certificate, no public records. It's like she appeared out of nowhere."

"She could have had her name changed Rosalie – after such a traumatic experience, I imagine she wanted a fresh start." Carlisle replied in a calm, collected voice.

"But that doesn't even make sense. Chief Soileau had only one sister, who never had any kids, and who died over 2 years ago!" Rosalie practically shouted.

Jasper's voice pitched in, quiet but not quite peaceful, just as I wandered into the front lawn, "And why do you care Rosalie? Like you said, she's a human – no real threat. I think the real question here is, where's the jealousy I'm feeling off of you coming from?"

A loud cracking sound welcomed me as I stepped inside, to see Rosalie pinned to the wall by a much shorter Alice.

"If you ever consider laying a hand on my husband again, I will have your head Rosalie." Alice snarled.

"Calm down," Esme said in a firm tone. Alice dropped Rosalie immediately and swept to Jasper's side, who in turn let out a wave of calm to everyone in the room. Esme turned to me, "How is Marie, Edward?"

"She's fine. She had another nightmare, but I'm sure she'll go back to sleep soon." I lied as convincingly as I could manage, knowing only Jasper would detect my dishonesty because of his gift.

"Well I am sorry to hear that. She did mention sleeping troubles during her appointment with me today."

I watched Carlisle's memory, and snarled when I realized exactly why she went to the hospital today. [Fighting?] "She's doing what? How could you approve her for that kind of activity? That is extremely dangerous." [What if she gets hurt?]

"Edward, I would fear those she chooses to spar with. She is in excellent physical condition – it seems as though she has been in training for a while. Though I did tell her that if her sleeping doesn't improve, she would need to quit."

I was seeing red. [How dare he approve her for that?]. The heavy, cold weight of Carlisle's hand landed on my shoulder firmly, "I know you don't like it son, but she has every right to participate. She is less fragile than you make her out to be, you know."

"This still doesn't address the real question. Who is she? I don't trust her. What if she expects something? We would have no way of knowing." Rosalie added in. _**You can't even read her Edward, and Jasper can't get a good read. You should have seen her in Gym – she has military-level training in fighting. She's a wildcard. **_

"We have decided to postpone judgment. We will continue to do that. Just because we cannot read her doesn't mean she is automatically a threat. We will deal with her suspicions if and when they arrive. Now, I suggest everyone take some time to calm down – after all, you do all have school tomorrow." Carlisle left the room with Esme on his arm, and Rosalie followed shortly after, dragging Emmett away, with a scowl on her face.

_Hey Eddie. Did you catch a glimpse of her..._(Emmett)

I growled at Emmett, silencing him. As I turned to go upstairs, Alice and Jasper stood in front of me, stopping me with their curious bu reserved expressions.

_Jealous Edward? Of what? _Jasper played back my emotions from when I approached the house. [Why was I so jealous? Oh yeah, 'Bobby'].

I spoke low and fast, close enough to the couple so that only they could make out my words. "She was having a really bad nightmare. It seemed like it was constantly changing. Even her language would change. I could swear she had an Australian accent at one point, and then spoke in German. She called out, asking to 'please make it stop'."

I swallowed, remembering the feel of her in my arms, warm and soft, even through her school clothes, and took a deep breath, "I held her to me to calm her down, I rubbed her arms and hummed to her. I didn't expect her to wake up. I barely got out of her room before she opened her eyes."

_If she didn't freak out, then she doesn't know. I'm sure you did the right thing. But that doesn't explain the jealousy Edward._ (Jasper)

"She was okay with me holding her at first, but then she said a name, Bobby. That seemed to bother her, and that was when she woke up."

_If she was bothered by thinking you were this 'Bobby' character, then you have nothing to be jealous of._ Jasper dismissed. He looked into my eyes for moment, and seeming satisfied with what he saw, left with Alice, leaving me alone in the living room.

_**RPOV**_

I slammed my window shut as fast as I dared without waking Charlie. [What is going on up there? Who opened my window?]. I was freaking pissed.

_I can assure you Rogue that no one here opened it. _(Erik)

"And how did I wake up in my bed when I clearly remember falling asleep on my desk?" I whispered out loud, so upset I couldn't just think to my voices anymore. [What the fuck is going on?] I unconsciously started picking up things around my room; for some reason, cleaning things outside my mind seems to help when I am trying to clear my own thoughts and emotions.

_You smell that Marie. It's just like the other night. _(Logan)

"Was someone here?" I could barely whisper, the thought of someone being in **my** room while I was unconscious shaking me to the bones.

_I think so. But I don't know who._ (Logan)

I shook a little with the realization, and eventually came to a conclusion. [Whoever it is, won't get that opportunity again. They obviously weren't seeking to hurt me anyway, even though they could have had plenty of time. I am redoing this room this weekend, so I can just change the window's latch so that it won't open unless broken.]

I finished the homework that I had fallen asleep on. Erik was pretty helpful with Math, and Logan with French. I could hear Charlie start to stir, and crawled into bed to make it appear that I was sleeping when he came in to check on me.

After he left, I got dressed for school, wearing long black pants, a long-sleeved, dark blue turtle neck shirt, and wrist-length, tan silk gloves. I sighed when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. [Damn, I do look like a mummy, even without a scarf.]

_Try wearing your red shirt from Jubes. You look smokin' hot, and it only shows chest and shoulders, so you'll still be in your comfort zone. _ (John)

I chuckled to myself. [Of course John. You could stand lay off the lame fire-comments once in a while, you know. ]

I pulled the shirt out of my drawers. Jubilee bought it for me last Christmas, but I had never worn it without a scarf on and a tank underneath it. It was extremely low cut. I put it on anyway. It was off the shoulder and dipped down in the front showing a hint of cleavage, but the sleeves were long and belled-out at the ends. [I like it. The red looks good. Not scandalous but not plain either, good call John.]

_Everything looks better in red. _(John)

[How perceptive John.] I smirked at my reflection, before grabbing my school bag and a toaster pastry from the kitchen, and running out to my truck. [I get to fight today!]

The day passed pretty quickly. The quiet girl I met yesterday in gym was in a few of my classes, I think her name was Angela, and fortunately Lauren was only in one. I got more stares today, _It's the shirt – I told you it looked good_, but no one dared come talk to me. [Guess word got around after the whole Lauren confrontation.]

I looked at the door to the lunchroom, but thought better of it and headed to the gym instead. [I'm not that hungry. And the food here makes me want to vomit anyway. Besides, a little practice couldn't hurt.] After handing the coach my filled-out forms, I changed into my gym apparel. I did some stretches and did yoga for almost the entire lunch period. [Nice and relaxed. Maybe Alice's brother won't act like a complete ogre today. I don't understand why he would ask me on a date if he can't stand to sit next to me for an hour anyway.]

_Because you make him uncomfortable. I can't wait to see his reaction to your shirt. _(John)

I was lost in my thoughts, when I entered the locker room. I didn't notice her until I was surrounded b a bundle of ice-cold arms. I immediately dropped into a defensive stance, pushing whomever it was off of me and thanking myself for wearing full 'Rogue' garb. [Of course, it's Alice. Oops, I conveniently forgot to ask my uncle about going shopping with her.] I opened my mouth to give her a good mouthing off for sneaking up on me, but she beat me to it.

"Oh Marie! I love the shirt you wore today. It looks totally awesome on you." Alice said, totally un-affronted by me throwing her off me. [Wait, what?]

"Umm, thanks?" [**How did she know what shirt I wore today?** I'm still decked out in my gym clothes.].

"I saw you in the hall this morning, and I just had to tell you. I think Edward will love it. I wanted to let you know that I got my dad to call your uncle, and he said it's fine if you go with me. I wanted to leave right after your tryouts, that way we can make it to Port Angeles before the shopping mall closes."

"I'm sorry Alice, but... wait, how did you know I have tryouts this afternoon?"

"Oh Rosalie mentioned it. She said she overheard you and the coach talking yesterday. So are you in or what?"

"Umm, yeah, I guess so."

"YEEE! Great. You so won't regret this Marie. I can't wait to dress you up!"

"Right... well I have to get to class, so..."

"Oh right. See you this afternoon." She left, and I looked at the clock. [Crap, I have Bio in 5 minutes]

I stripped and threw on my school clothes and barely made it to Biology before Mr. Banner shut the door.

[Barely] "Thank you for joining us today Ms. Soileau," Mr. Banner greeted me and launched right into his lesson. I sat down next to Edward, paying little attention to Mr. Banner as he went through his lecture. [Edward keeps catching small glimpses of my chest. Thanks a lot John – I feel really exposed. Crap, and he asked me out. How do I politely tell him no thank you?] Apparently, Mr. Banner's lesson wasn't on his mind; he slipped a note under my hand.

-_Missed you at lunch. Our table is pretty stagnant without you. Where'd you go?_-

I sighed, realizing the next question was going to be if I had considered this weekend. [Well, here goes **heart-breaker** Rogue.]

_Whatever. I still think you should give it a shot. Just a date or two – you might as well enjoy yourself a little_. (John)

_What's up. Do you want to feel her go through a date with a dude? _(Bobby)

_Honestly, if it means you would stop bickering so much, I wouldn't mind at all. _(Erik)

_A small step for your heart would be a big step for your soul, Rogue. _(Piotr) [A/N: metal-up guy Colossus]

_Do what you think is right Marie. I know it's a big step for you._ (Logan)

[Great, not even my voices can agree.]

- _I skipped lunch – big breakfast. I went to get some peace and quiet before another few hours drowning in boredom._ _Class is so mind-numbing_-

I passed him back the note and turned to Mr. Banner, who was finishing up with his lecture on Meiosis and Mitosis. When I spared a glance at Edward, he was staring at me. He quickly penned back an answer, but as I went to read it, Mr. Banner caught my attention instead.

"Alright class, today's lab is identifying the different stages of Meiosis in these slides. It's closed book and closed notes. You have 30 minutes."

A collective groan echoed in the room. [Whatever, I have done this already. Should be a piece of cake, unless Edward wants to doubt me.] I slipped the note into my notebook and pulled out a pen instead, slipping the first slide under the microscope and taking a look. "Telophase I"

Edward looked warily at me, at my notebook, and then at the microscope. He gestured towards it, "Mind if I take a look?"

"Be my guest" I passed it his way, and adjusted my gloves. He looked quickly, and nodded. "You should write it down. My handwriting looks like chicken-scratch. You know how to spell it right?"

He smirked at me, "Yes I know how to spell telophase. I might have missed class, but I made up the material." [Wow, what's with the attitude?] He pointed to the slide box. "Next?"

I grabbed the next slide, and carefully passed it to him. He fingers barely brushed mine, but even through the gloved material, I felt a sharp zing through my fingertips and pulled away quickly – too quickly. He didn't have a good grip on the slide, and it started to fall. [**Fuck don't fall. Don't break.**] I reached out to catch it before it fell, but Edward beat me to it. Luckily it didn't break. I made a mental note to avoid actual contact for the rest of the lab.

We went through the slides in a similar fashion, him identifying one, me checking, and then my turn, and so on. We were done in less than 10 minutes, but most of the class was still on the second slide. I remembered the forgotten note, and grabbed it.

- _I didn't mean to seem so forward about this weekend. It was inappropriate, and I do apologize. Would you be up for joining me, Alice, and Jasper for a day trip into Seattle instead? I can promise no clothes shopping. -_

I looked back at him, then at Mr. Banner, who was grossly immersed in a book again. Around the class, a few pairs of students were cheating with textbooks or with notes, but I couldn't have cared less.

[A double date then – I guess that is better than a true date. I could go with that.]

- _Sure that sounds great. I'm redoing my room at my Uncle's tonight and tomorrow though – I want to have it done before Sunday night._-

- _We could help, if you want help that is. I am sure Alice would love to get her hands on your room. She is as avid about decorating rooms as she is about decorating people._-

I laughed lightly at the thought of Alice touching my room. [I'm no pink-loving kind of girl. I'm sure she would disapprove of my decorating choices more than my clothing choices. Not that I'm decorating – just soundproofing.] I started to pen back an answer, but Edward's charming voice whispered to me "Incoming" and I hid the note quickly.

"Mr. Cullen, didn't you think Ms. Soileau should have at least tried to answer some of these?"

I cut off Edward's reply, "Actually Mr. Banner, I answered more than half of them." I smiled up at him sweetly.

"Really Ms. Soileau? What are the distinguishing characteristics between metaphase I and metaphase II?"

"Metaphase I is the line up of homologous pairs of chromosomes, tetrads, along the equator of the cell. It's part of meiosis I, or the reduction division of a gamete. Metaphase II is similar except with of sister chromosomes." I spoke quickly but with purpose, proud of myself and a little irritated that this teacher was being so rude.

Mr. Banner looked shocked, but quickly recovered. "Were you in an advanced placement class back in Mississippi, Marie?"

"No sir, I wasn't." [At least not in Mississippi, that is.] "I just made sure to study."

"Well, looks like you've got the right partner then." He huffed and walked up to another group, catching them cheating, and reprimanded them.

"You studied?" Edward sounded as shocked as he looked.

I glared at him. [What do you think I am, an idiot?] "Actually, I did. Why, is that surprising?"

He looked like he should be blushing – apparently he didn't realize what he was saying, "No I didn't mean it like that, it's just... well, you haven't exactly been paying attention in class, so I figured you would be behind."

[He looks so embarrassed. I guess I can spare him; he probably didn't mean it.] "Well, I kind of lied by omission. I wasn't in an advanced placement course in Mississippi, but I have covered this material before. Your school, or I guess our school, is a little behind where we were." [Engineering consent – did I get this from you Erik?]

_And you do it so well, Rogue. May I say I am actually quite proud. _(Erik)

"Alright class, time is up. Please pass your labs forward and pack up the supplies." Mr. Banner announced, much to the chagrin of the rest of the students.

"So, would you like assistance redecorating?"

"No thanks, I'm pretty picky about my things. Besides, it won't be mine unless I redo it." [Geeze, it's not like I'm doing all that much. Just installing some soundboard. ]

**ring ring ring**

"Cya around Edward."

I ran through the rest of my classes, happy to have some peace and time to think. In gym, I staunchly avoided Rosalie and Emmett's eyes, dressing in quickly and immediately launching into a series of stretches. Before I could fall into doing routines, however, the coach interrupted everyone and announced a game of dodgeball. [Oh joy].

It was boys against girls, [Pretty biased grouping], but I didn't complain. Each group had a side of the gym that was exclusive to that team. Lauren and her trio were out pretty quickly, though all of them tried to trip me at one point or another. I was eventually the last girl standing, and Mike, as well as another guy I recognized vaguely as Eric or Aaron, and a few guys I didn't recognize from any other classes.

"Alright boys, let's show this little girl how its done." Mike said haughtily. I laughed, and replied in as steely a voice as I could muster, "Do your worst...for I will do mine." The guys looked at me curiously, and maybe with a tinge of fear. [Hah, They'd really be afraid if they recognized the quote.] I had 2 of the 3 balls in the room.

I paced slowly back and forth on my side of the room, zoning out the now interested crowd in the bleachers of students that had been knocked out – the ones cheering were going for the team that would be loosing anyway, most of them were not paying attention to the game at all and just gossiping. Mike had the only other ball, and he aimed it right at me. I caught it deftly in my gloved hands, and smirked at his aghast expression. "One down, five to go."

I took two of the balls, gently placing the third along my wall of the gym. I turned back to the guys, thinking of a good distraction. They were scattered across the other side of the court, making them easy targets. I started taunting them with a children's song, singing loudly so I could clearly be heard over the din and roar of the students in the bleachers. "Five little monkeys, sittin' ina tree. Teasin' Ms. Alligator, ya can't catch meh." I was quietly pacing back and forth in front of them, with my back turned. "Along came Missus Alligator, as quiet as cahn beh..."

I spun around quickly, faking a throw with my right hand towards one in the middle, while actually throwing my left ball into the Eric guy. It bounced off of his face hard, and rolled back to my side before any of the guys could catch it. "And snap went she." The girls in the bleachers, finally paying attention, cheered as Eric left the floor. I smiled a sickly sweet smile at the remaining boys, who now looked angry that I had been able to take down another one of them. [They still have no strategy.]

_Really Rogue. These humans have so little potential._(Erik)

"Four little piggies sittin' under a tree. Teasin' Missus She-wolf ya can't catch me." This time, I didn't have to project my voice at all, so I dropped it lower and I dropped lower into a crouch that would have done Wolverine proud. [Guess they decided that this was interesting after all.] "Along came Missus She-wolf, quiet as cahn beh..." This time, I threw both balls, right at the boys feet that were on the edge of the pack. "And snap went she." It hit their feet without them catching it, but only one of them made it to my side, as another boy ran forward and picked up the other one. The girls cheered again, and even some of the guys joined in. I looked in the stands and was shocked when I saw not only Rosalie and Emmett, cheering me on, but their siblings had joined them too. I decided to change tactics as I went to the wall and grabbed my other ball, so that once again I was double-fisting balls.

"I can see the mountains."

The boy holding a ball threw it at me, but missed by a long shot. [I think my voice startled him].

_Excellent idea Rogue. _

[Thanks Erik] I grabbed the third ball, preparing for my finale.

"I can see the sky."

"With three more minutes to go."

I flipped my wrist and threw all three balls at once, with accuracy that surprised even me. Two of the three boys were struck across the head, and were out. The third, however, snatched the ball single-handedly before it hit his head. I hung my head in defeat, as the boys in the gym cheered on the boy whose name was apparently Darrel.

_Oh suck it up Marie. He did great, and if you hadn't been so cocky, you probably could have got him. _ (Logan)

_Good strategy Rogue. But poor execution. Haste leaves room for waster. _(Erik)

I went up to the guy that had apparently beat me to congratulate him, "Nice game, Darrel."

He stared at me a little while longer, or rather at my gloves. I cleared my throat loudly as I put my hands behind my back, and he snapped out of it looking straight at me with a sly smile on his face. "Was my pleasure. What's your name?"

"I'm Marie."

"One name wonder huh? Well, I'm Darrel Carver." He paused, and then got an excited gleam in his eye. "You're the girl joining the fight club. Awesome, I can't wait to see you try to take someone down on the mats."

"Oh you'll see. I don't try; I do." With that, I walked back towards the locker room, not to change, since gym was my last class and we had practice this afternoon, but to cool off. [And make a nice exit.]

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+


	8. 8: Day 3, EPOV and fight

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

A/n: I've written several scenes now that will be later in the story – I can't wait till I can post them! I'm bubbly like Alice with excitement. Until then though, here is another fun chapter, slightly less psychotic than the last one, but just as interesting, I hope.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. 'If this is your first night at fight club, you have to fight'

[Person's personal thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

**EPOV**

_Ooo Edward you're going to love what Marie is wearing today!_

"Where is she, Alice?" I noticed that the human in question hadn't been in the lunchroom at all today; [she wouldn't have escaped my notice if she had come anywhere close].

_Oh she'll be in Biology with you Edward. She's in the gym right now._

I growled as I considered why she would be there, "training?". Rosalie's voice interrupted me, "Oh get over yourself Edward. She has every right to learn to fight." _Maybe if I'd have known self defense I wouldn't have had to go through what I did._

I inhaled deeply and sighed. Emmett and Jasper were keeping out of the conversation, instead opting to stare longingly at their mates. "I'm leaving."

I stood quickly and swept out of the cafeteria as quickly as I could manage at a human pace. [Why is her absence bothering me so much? Why do I even care?] I found myself sitting in the Biology classroom waiting for everyone to arrive. Eventually everyone but the one person I most wanted to see had filed in. [Where is Marie?].

Just before the bell was to ring, I heard a racing heartbeat and accompanying footsteps run towards the classroom and bolt in through the door. I was immediately assaulted by her scent, nearly overpowering because of her recent run. I stared straight ahead while I tried to gain an upper hand against my inner beast, but when I turned towards her, my greeting fell flat on my lips as I took in the sight of her.

Marie's throat and upper chest were perfectly framed by a blood-red shirt. Her pulse was fluttering seductively on her neck, her checks fully blushed from her run. Her hair was falling out of its ponytail, cascading beautifully down her back and in bits across her face, begging me to run my cold, marble fingers through it to smooth it down. Sweat pooled at her brow and I watched, mesmerized, as a drop fell to the desk. I stared at my prey, venom pooling dangerously in my mouth. The sound of her clearing her throat made me realize that she was looking back at me, and I quickly turned away.

[Wow.] I was dumbfounded. She looked amazing and delicious and seductive but innocent all in one. I kept catching quick glances of her throughout the lecture, to which I paid no attention. Marie was my lesson today – everything about her appearance. Her heartbeat gradually slowed down, like a song that had reached the bridge, and her pulse's dance along her neck followed, slowing its movements from a salsa to a waltz. Her blush fell away, but in its place her skin shimmered with the remaining sweat. [I bet even her sweat is sweet. What I would give to lick that sweat right off her cheek and nose.]

Her eyebrows were pushed together as in confusion, but she didn't appear to be paying any more attention to Mr. Banner than I was. [What is she thinking?] I remembered our note-passing, and quickly penned one to her.

_**Heart-breaker.**_I heard the voice that had eluded me previously – this time I was sure it was her. I tried to concentrate, but her mind was like a wall. Frustrated, I watched as she seemed to be debating with herself. [Oh heart-breaker. I wonder if she got the wrong message yesterday – I saw our note on her desk last night. Damn I probably came off like a hormone-driven child.] When the note came my way, I tried to make up for my previous faux-paux by instead inviting her to go out with Alice, Jasper and I. [Much safer anyway. And I still get to spend more time with her.] That thought caught me off guard, and my thoughts caught up with logical part of my brain. [More time? What are you doing Edward – she's just another human. One whose blood sings for you none the less.] I cursed myself quietly for having so little self-control, but she had already taken the note.

Mr. Banner's voice finally pulled me out of my musings as he announced a lab. I sighed, there was no way Marie could do this lab with how little attention she had been paying in class today and yesterday, not to mention she only just got here. Her voice startled me, 'Telophase I".

I eyed her skeptically, "Mind if I take a look?" I checked, and sure enough, she was correct. She asked me to write it down, both complimenting my handwriting and attempting to insult my knowledge in the same breathe. "Yes I know how to spell 'Telophase'. I might have missed class, but I made up the material." [Many times over, might I add.] I asked for the next slide, but when she handed it to me, still wearing gloves oddly enough, I felt a shock up my entire arm like a pinched nerve. The slide slipped from her hand before I had grabbed it.

_**Fuck don't fall. Don't break. **_

Her mental voice penetrated my mind again, and I complied with her request, even using some of my vampire speed to reach the slide before it slipped to the desk and shattered. She looked incredibly relieved that the slide hadn't broken, but it only took a moment for me to realize why.

_Did Soileau just drop lab supplies? She told me she would be careful when I permitted her wearing gloves. She better not have broken anything_

I shrugged lightly at his thoughts, and we continued the lab in relative silence, only repeating our little exchange for each slide. I noticed that Marie seemed to avidly avoid touching me in any way, and felt depressed by her actions. [I need to get a hold of myself. Humans instinctively avoid touching vampires. Why do I even care?]

We finished the lab quickly, and I saw her reach for the note. I examined her expressions as she read it, trying to get her face to tell me what I couldn't pull from her mind. She seemed content, and relieved. [I guess she really didn't want to date a vampire.]

We passed the note back and forth, and I realized I was giddy with excitement about our upcoming double date with Alice and Jasper. [She makes me feel things I haven't felt in so long, if ever. How does she have this power over me? I don't even know her.]

_What are these two doing? I bet Edward answered all the lab questions for her; there is no way she could have finished the lab this quickly otherwise._

I quietly informed Marie of our intruder, and she slyly slide the note under her notebook. I was shocked when she stood up for herself and showed up Mr. Banner. He didn't expect her to be able to answer his question, and frankly neither did I. When she claimed she hadn't been in advanced placement before, my jaw dropped in disbelief. This obviously carried over to my tone when I asked her about it. "You studied?"

"Actually, I did. Why is that surprising?" her words were laced with sarcasm and she said them with a sneer. I was not expecting her to be so defensive, but then I realized what I must have sounded like. [Do I always sound like such a pig? I think I've embarrassed myself more in the past two days with her than I have in my entire existence!]

I quickly tried to correct my blunder, but my words stumbled out and I could barely finish my sentence. "No I didn't mean it like that, it's just..." [Smooth, smooth. Like excuses make it better] "Well, you haven't exactly been paying attention in class, so I figured you would be behind." I finished lamely, my justification sounding weak to my own ears.

Thankfully, she took pity on me and admitted to having covered the material previously. "Well, I kind of lied by omission. I wasn't in an advanced placement course in Mississippi, but I have covered this material before. Your school, or I guess our school, is a little behind where we were." I felt like she was holding something back, but I was too grateful for her reprieve to question it at this moment.

The bell rang, and I realized I wanted to extend my time with her this weekend, "So, would you like assistance redecorating?" [Please say yes]

"No thanks, I'm pretty picky about my things. Besides, it won't be mine unless I redo it." She walked away with that, and I felt completely deflated.

I felt like a zombie in my next class, answering the teacher's questions without hesitation as I tried in vain to find Marie's mental voice through the school. Alice's chipper broke through my thoughts instead.

_**Edward, you are really going to want to take a bathroom break and join the 7**__**th**__** hour gym class. **_

I grumbled under my breath. [Meddling pixie. Why would I want to join the gym class?] I mentally debated not going while I walked to my next class, and I mentally overheard her telling Jasper that she would come get him in about 20 minutes.

_Trust me Jazzy, you're really going to enjoy the show. _

_Anything for you, Alice. You're sure we will get away with this._

_Don't bet against me, honey.__** EDWARD, you'd better not skip. This will be fun, I promise.**_

I sighed, realizing that once again, she somehow knew that I was eavesdropping. Halfway through my ridiculously simple trigonometry class, I decided to comply with Alice's wishes. "I need to use the facilities, Mrs. Quigley; may I please have a hall pass?" I asked, dazzling her easily with my eyes. "Oh... um, of course Edward. Don't be too long." I smiled at her, leaving the room as quickly as I could manage at a human pace.

When I got to the gym, the stench of sweat and adrenaline temporarily overwhelmed my senses, making venom pool in my mouth. [I need to hunt this afternoon.] I swallowed reflexively, and quickly found my family. "So why are we all here Alice?" I practically snarled. [Why am I having to put up with this intolerable increase of burning thirst.] I realized she didn't even recognize my presence, in face, none of them did, and I turned to see what they were staring at.

My jaw dropped, and the predator in me growled low and steady in approval as I took in the sight before me. Marie stood alone on one side o the gym, with a foam ball in each of her hands. Her face was curled into a seductive but predatory smile. She looked absolutely deadly, and thus absolutely divine. I heard her voice over the other students in the bleachers, low in pitch and slightly raspy, "Do your worst... for I will do mine." [That is so sexy, wait, what?] I felt confused for a moment, and then had to hold myself back as Mike Newton through a ball at her. She caught his ball in her hands, and whispered, "One down, five to go," as Mike walked to the bleachers, head hung low and shoulders slouched in defeat.

I was in awe watching this human prance around her side of the gym, with a nearly feline grace in her movements. Her voice rang out clearly above the other students, singing a children's song that could only come off as a haunting lullaby.

"Five little monkeys, sittin' ina tree. Teasin' Ms. Alligator, ya can't catch meh." her Southern accent was clearly decipherable in her words, though it was distinctively different from Jasper's Texan accent. Her words sounded smooth like honey, to his nearly rough and cowboy intonations. I strained unnecessarily to listen to her words as she was turned away from me, and her prey. "Along came Missus Alligator, as quiet as cahn beh..."

She quickly turned around, faking a throw at the boy in center and slamming Erik Yorkie in the face off to her left. "And snap went she." The bleachers around us erupted in cat-calls, woots, and cheers as the girls realized that Marie might actually win the game. The mental voices around me were too loud, and held my head in vain as I tried to silence them. Jasper tried to send me waves of calm, but even he was excited about the game. _**Good use of the element of surprise. The poor boys probably didn't even see it coming.**_

She turned to the remaining males before her smiled a victorious smile, like the cat caught the canary, at them as they glared back at her. _Stupid girl, she just got lucky...I bet I could take her out if I had a ball..She better hope we take it easy on her next time..._ I growled at the thoughts of her 'victims,' who obviously were sore about potentially loosing to a female.

She repeated her lullaby, more quietly this time as the bleachers had gone nearly silent, with everyone captivated by the game. "Four little piggies sittin' under a tree. Teasin' Missus She-wolf ya can't catch me." She dropped into a hunting crouch, and I could feel the surprise in my siblings thoughts as they watched, "Along came Missus She-wolf, quiet as cahn beh..." She threw her two balls hard, snapping them off of two of the boys' ankles before they rolled back to her side. She seemed no at all distressed about loosing one of the balls, but mildly surprised at the sounds coming from the bleachers.

She turned and caught my eye, and stared briefly at my siblings, who were cheering her on, even Rosalie. Her face dropped the shocked look for one of intense concentration, and she turned her back on her opponents as she went to the back wall to pick up her other ball. _I'll get her now. She shouldn't have turned her back on us. _As she turned around, she started singing an old Johnny Cash song, "I can see the mountains." The boy holding the one loose ball threw it – badly – obviously caught off guard by Marie's change of song. She grabbed all the remaining balls, and continued singing, "I can see the sky. With three more minutes to go." With her last words, she threw her balls at all the boys on the other side with perfect aim, and two of them went down. But the third caught the ball with one hand before it touched his face, and she hung her head in defeat.

_**Dude, you need to calm down. It's just a game. I've never felt this kind of anger or protectiveness from you. **_(Jasper)

_**Edward, your eyes have gone totally black, you should leave before you hurt someone.**_ (Alice)

I realized I was growling, and tried to quiet the noise. [Maybe Alice is right, I should go hunting.]

_**That meek little human is quite impressive. Isn't this further proof that she is more than she seems to be?**_ (Rosalie)

_**Wow man, Marie kicks ass as a human; I wonder how much more awesome she would be as a vampire.**_ (Emmett)

I glared at Rosalie and Emmett, before taking off. I made it back to my Trigonometry class just before the bell rang. I grabbed my supplies and ran to my car, awaiting my siblings return impatiently. I could only be sure of two things as I sat in my Volvo, that Anna Marie Soileau was most definitely hiding something, and that I was in love with her.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

**RPOV**

I rinsed my face in the bathroom to try to get rid of some of the sweat. I could feel it pooling on my backside and in my sports bra, and I felt disgusting but proud all in one. [I took down 5 arrogant and cocky males with me.] I heard the coach's whistle, and him shouting, "All right kiddos. It's time to get started." I rushed out of the bathroom quickly, and was greeted by an all-male crowd dressed in gym clothes in an otherwise vacant gymnasium.

"So nice of you to join us Marie. Boys, it's time to welcome your first female teammate, Anna Marie Soileau." He droned on for a bit about the rules, and about the safety gear, and then after noticing how antsy everyone was, he moved on to partnering us up. "Since it's your first meeting, Marie, I'd like you to pair up with Seth." he gestured to a smaller boy, who couldn't have been older than 14, with dark eyes and a deeply tanned skin. "Seth is from the high school over on the reservation, and he has only been with us for a few weeks. I am not sure how experienced you are, so I want to start you off with someone on a beginner's level." [Oh fantastic, I'm female, therefore I am automatically a wimp.]

Seth crouched immediately into a familiar looking fight stance. _Maybe the little one does know how to fight. _[Logan]. I mirrored his pose, letting Logan dictate to me my moves. We circled one another slowly, both breathing perfectly calm, timed breaths.

_Watch him. _(Logan)I saw his eyes move less than a second before his body followed, but it was enough time for me to avoid his pounce with a sidestep. I took his vulnerable position to my advantage and elbowed him between his shoulder blades, hoping to take him down easily. [Damn he's tough,. That felt like hitting Colossus.]

He skidded to the floor, but was back on his feet quickly, now sporting a cute little sneer [or is it a smirk, I can't tell.] I refused to let down my guard, and continued circling.

I realized his steps slightly favored his right foot, presumably just because it was his dominant foot. _Take advantage of his hidden weakness Marie _(Logan) I timed him and shot forward, catching him off-guard like he couldn't catch me, but when I slammed the back of knees with a low, swooping kick, he didn't go down like he should have. His knees slightly buckled, but he kept to his feet. [What are you, Hercules?] He was definitely smirking at me now. [Anyone else have any ideas?]

_Yeah believe it or not. Being homeless had more than its fair share of brawls for those of us who couldn't pull a sweet face. _(John)

I internally winced, [You don't have to John.]

_Think of this as my Thank you for wearing the shirt today, babe. Now, Logan's right that you have to watch his eyes and body movements, but put yourself in his shoes. What can you do to distract him? _(John)

I thought about this for a second, and then realized what John meant. [Oh I see. Haha, he is 14 after all.]

I timed my next attach and planned it so that Seth got a great view of my ass as I nailed him across the head with a backwards roundhouse kick. He fell flat on the mat, and I had him pinned quickly.

"Nice job Marie. Keep working at it Seth, don't get distracted." I heard the coach call over to us. I smirked at Seth below me, and he smirked right back. "Thanks for the view." I begrudgingly helped him up, noticing that his hand tried to linger in mine just a second too long. [Is this really worth it?]

_Roguey, do you really want to loose to someone more than 2 years your minor?_ (John)

I shook Seth off and started to circle again. This time, I abruptly stopped, and he took it as a challenge. I took advantage of his confusion and pounced, this time wrapping my arms around his neck and clasping my legs around his waist from behind, chocking him. He struggled, trying to pry my arms off of him, but I only gripped harder, making sure my heal was right in line with his crotch and dug in. He seemed to freeze up, and I switched our positions quickly, pinning him again. I smirked at him again, but this time, he glared back at me. [Aww am I hurting his ego? Sorry boy, but your 6 weeks of experience can't top me this time.]

As soon as I let him up, he started to grapple with me. [Crap, I have less strength and weight to throw around.]

_Then use your speed against him_ (Erik)

He threw his shoulder into my chest, and I swiveled my torso too avoid getting hit, sending him flailing into the mat. He twisted and was back into a crouch; I too stayed down. We stared each other down, and I pounced. This time he caught me by my shoulders, and threw me back trying to pin me. I curled my back from the base of my spine and managed to avoid being pinned, but this resulted in him landing prone over sideways-hips and torso.

I wasted no time in pushing us off the floor, having caught him in a vulnerable position, and switched our positions, with me now on top. [He looks like he's enjoying this a little too much.] I kneed him between his legs, and we turned over a few times, rolling across the mats like a couple of dogs, before I used our building momentum and jumped back to my feet, leaving Seth scrambling n the ground. Before he could jump back to his feet, I was on his back, pulling his arms into what I knew to be a painful position and shoving his shoulders into the floor. I whispered into his ear, "Pinned ya again."

Overall, Seth was a harder challenge than I expected; between his speed, his strength, but most importantly his instinctual fighting style, I felt like I was fighting Logan or Hank. This boy was feral, and the most experienced fighter I had in me was a feral too. But my inner feral was more than century older, and I ended up pinning Seth one more time, to his none. After about an hour of sparring, the coach announced that we were done with mandatory time for the day. I reached down to help Seth up.

His eyes were lit up with excitement, "Wow, Marie. You fight like a pro. I thought I was going to have to take it easy on you, but you rocked me pretty hard." He gave my hand a hearty shake and let go, "Thanks, most of the guys take it easy on me. I may have gotten my ass handed to me by a girl, but at least I can say she was smokin' hot!" I stifled a laugh at his self-deprecating humor, and settled for a smirk instead. "Who says I wasn't taking it easy on you kid?"

He growled – a bonafide growl - "I ain't a kid," and puffed out his chest to prove it. I couldn't help but really laugh that time, and ran my gloved hand through his hair affectionately, "I know Seth, Ah'm just teasin'. No need ta get so worked up." He dropped his chest, and smiled at me, "See you next week Marie!" I sighed, [Cute kid.]

_He relies too much on his instinct. It's fine if you heal from anything, but he won't._ _And your skills are waning Marie. You should have taken him down every 5 minutes. _(Logan)

_I agree Rogue. You're desperately out of practice. Because you have chosen to deprive yourself of your number one defense, you must keep up your defensive skills._ (Erik)

I sighed, my voices were of course looking out for my best interests, but I couldn't help but be annoyed, especially at Erik's comment. I showered quickly and redressed, only to walk out of the gym and run directly into a 5' pillar of concrete. [That smarts, what the...] I realized that the said pillar of concrete had grabbed my hand and was dragging me off. [Wow, Alice is tough.]

"Shopping time!"

**?POV**

[I can feel myself slowly returning. I won't have to keep this ridiculous husk of a homo sapien much longer. I just have to plan my escape perfectly.] My fingernails shifted just the slightest bit – too small for anyone else to see if they weren't looking for it. [Foolish humans – nature always finds a way.]

_+_+_+_+_

P.S. I am so sorry to my readers who were looking forward to a good fight scene, but I just didn't have it in me. I'll try harder for the shopping, I promise!


	9. 9: Day 3, meet the parents

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+

A/n: I want to apologize for the inconsistencies in the plot. While I'd love to be able to say that I planned them all out in advance and every gap has a purpose, but sadly enough, I am writing this as I publish. I have a general timeline in my head, but when something sparks my interest, I have to go back and change what I've written. I have 5000+ words of unused writing; believe it or not, the original storyline would have been finished in 3 chapters. Isn't this better? I would also like to add that my big scene at the beginning I really enjoyed writing – spur of the moment kind of thing, but I want to apologize if I offend anyone's sensibilities with my frequent cursing. If I should bump this up to M, let me know and I will do so immediately. I am trying to update more quickly at the requests of a few fans so the chapters may be a little shorter.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. An unexpected guest

[Person's personal thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

**APOV**

'_Edward growls furiously, getting everyone's attention, as he jumps down from the bleachers and attacks the male student that caught Marie's last toss.'_

I turned towards the subject of my vision, and gasped in surprise. His irises were gone; in their place, frighteningly black holes stared down at the gym floor. I placed a restraining arm on Edward's frame. **[Edward, your eyes have gone totally black, you should leave before you hurt someone.]**

He looked like he was going to resist for a second, but then growled at Rosalie and Emmett, and sped off at a more than human pace. Thankfully, all eyes were still too caught up in the action on the gym floor and no one outside our family noticed. I shot a look at Emmett and Rosalie, the former of which was looking confused and latter of which was looking smug. "Stop it, both of you. Grow up for once in your existence." I whispered quickly. Jasper and I left, heading back to our classes.

I was struck hard with a vision, and fell against the lockers beside me trying to stay up.

'_"Well God forbid you ever had to walk a while in my shoes, then you really might know what its like." Eyes flashed in a multi-colored fury, before settling into a deep reddish black. But Edward pressed on._

"_And what do you think you've done that is all that unforgiving? What have you been through that is all that terrible? So what, your parents died. So did mine. People move on."_

"_People move __**on**__, Edward?You insolent pathetic homo sapien." Edward stepped back instinctively, as though the animal in him recognized a larger predator in the room. "Aww, are you scared now? Not nearly enough. You want to know what is all that terrible, about this humanity that you love and idolize like a fucking golden calf?" She spit the word humanity like it was a dirty word. He watched in awe as the carpeted floor around her started to move as though a wind was sweeping over it, and bits of the carpet began to dissolve away. "Allow me to show you your fucking humanity, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen." Edward grabs his head."Try lying on the dirty dusty floor of a concentration camp, begging for mercy in the form of a death that you won't be granted." Edward twists his head again; I can see that his eyes are screwed tightly shut, like he is trying to not see something, but he can't stop it. "Do you like this better, Edward, peddling your own ass on the streets of Sydney, all in exchange for a mealy bite of food?" He drops to his knees sobbing as she speaks again, "What have I been through? Let me show you, Mr. High Almighty. This is what it feels like to be bloody, broken, and torn in the back alley of a gas station in return for trying to save humanity from the monster I had in me." Her lips curled into an evil sneer. _

"_You dare ask me what's so terrible. What could be so horrific in this world that I isolate myself from its fucking virtues. I've watched humanity tear itself apart in two great wars, killing millions of innocent people in the name of a pitiless God and a sense of political righteousness. I've been poked and prodded and had my soul and my memories and what little grasp on my humanity I had left ripped out of me! I've died and been forced back to life more times than I can remember." The carpet around her was completely gone, and her hair had changed from the familiar mahogany brown to a deep fiery red, with a startling new streak of solid white in the front. "I know you, Edward Mason. You think you're so evil for culling society of a hundred that were guilty. I've cold-handedly taken the lives of thousands of innocents. You are just another speck of dust on my ever dirtying rap sheet of deaths." Edward's fingertips were slowly melting away like the grass, into pieces of gray ash, and suddenly, the vision went black.'_

I gasped as I came back to, immediately shielding the vision away in my mind and praying Edward hadn't seen it. [What was that?]. I stumbled into my class, trying instead to focus on this afternoon. [I can't afford to waste time shopping this afternoon. I need to prevent this from happening.] I looked into the future and saw that Marie would have fallen asleep on the drive to Port Angeles anyway. [Maybe I can convince her to come to our house.. wait, that's where it happened. Damn it, what was the freakin' trigger?] As soon as the bell rang I shot out of class, an quickly found Jasper. "I have to go. Tell the others not to wait for me."

He looked at me confused, but nodded, "Whatever you need darlin'." I gave him a deep kiss, and sped off into the woods, not looking back. I knew I had about an hour until Marie would be done with her fight practice; I had to figure this out before then.

I secluded myself near the far edge of the La Push reservation area. None of my family would seek me out here, hopefully. I steeled myself for a moment, and concentrated on what I had seen. [They were obviously arguing about something, I think her parent's death. Why was Edward being such an asshole about it?] I focused on their words, and the first parts of their conversation came to me.

'"_What are you hiding Marie?" Edward was standing behind the piano in our great room. He was wearing a button down tan shirt and slacks, both of which made his pale skin and bronze hair look fabulous._

"_Today isn't a good day, Edward. I leave you be about yours and I expect the same in return." replied Marie softly, wearing a scarf, a long sleeved royal blue shirt, brown leather gloves, black pants,and black combat boots. She was bundled up head to toe, the only skin visible was her face. _

"_But you are always in such severe pain. I can see the agony and despair in your eyes." Edward said, stepping closer to her. He reached to place a hand on her shoulder in comfort, but she shrugged away quickly, standing up from the piano bench and wandering around the room._

"_I miss my family, Edward. Is that so hard to believe?" Her tone was starting to harden. Her eyes, which are normally a dark chocolaty brown, were darkening in an ominous way._

"_If that were all there was, then yes. But you've become more distant, and you are pulling away. Alice has noticed it too." his voice and eyes were both pleading and frustrated._

"_I am pulling away to protect you. I am more of a monster than you could ever imagine." She was sad in her eyes, and infinitely cold in her tone of voice._

"_Why do you think you are a monster Marie?" He leaned in further, trying corner her against the couch._

"_Don't push me Edward, I'm done talking about this." her tone was all cold now, and harsh like Alice hadn't heard it before._

"_Why are you so obstinate Marie? What could be so bad?" Edward's frustration was now out in full force; he came off as sarcastic and rude._

"_You have no idea what it's like Edward. God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in my shoes, then you really might know what its like."'_

I pulled out of the visions briefly - I didn't need or want to see the end again. Was it her anger? She was much more depressed in this vision than she had even been on the first day of school – like there was no hope left. I didn't even want to think about some of the things she had said at the end of the vision – it tore my un-beating heart in two to imagine how much pain she must be living with if what she had said was true. Was she immortal then, like us? I felt like some of my family's questions had been answered, but only with more questions.

I took comfort from her clothing though; this vision wasn't soon. I knew it also couldn't be too far away, because Marie looked the same in the beginning of the vision as she does now. But she was wearing a scarf. Maybe it would be this winter?

I checked the time and realized it was later than I had expected; I only had a few more minutes before I would have to run back and pick up Marie. I still couldn't mesh the downright evil creature in my vision with the sweet girl I had only known for a few days but who had secured a place in my heart for all eternity. I just knew Rosalie was wrong; Marie wasn't out to get us. Everything she had done so far only indicated self-protection. In fact, this unfortunate possibility only further proved that she meant us no harm, and just wanted to be left alone to her troubles. I sighed, and decided to check this afternoon.

'_I am driving my Porshe, but Marie has fallen asleep in the seat next to me. She looks so peaceful. We are almost to Port Angeles when she starts to stir; her demeanor has changed to something much darker. When I try to wake her up, she shakes – hard, and starts bleeding out of her nose. I tense up, at the wrong moment, and my Porshe careens off the narrow bridge we are on.'_

[Well I definitely don't want that to happen.] I make the decision to instead bring her back to our house.

'_I drive us back to my family's house. She's saying she's hungry. She's talking with Carlisle and Esme. She's staring longingly at the piano, but when asked, she's refusing to play. She's laughing with Emmett. She's starting to fall asleep, but she jerks herself awake each time. She's flinching when Esme tried to hug her goodbye, and apologizes profusely. I'm dropping her off at the Soileau home awake, but tired.'_

[Alright, no shopping today. Hungry, what do humans eat?] I headed back to my family's homestead, and grabbed my sweet, beautiful Porshe. Edward met me at the garage door, eyes newly butterscotch light. "Thank you. She's coming over this afternoon."

We both cringed as we heard a shrill shriek come from the upper stories of our house. [Rosalie no doubt.] "Rosalie, you **will** leave her alone while she is here. Go hunting while she's here if you have to." I smiled weakly at Edward as I jumped into my baby and sped off.

I grabbed a bacon cheeseburger and fries from the fast food place that was on the main highway, rolling down the windows of my car to keep the obnoxious smell from becoming overwhelming. I pulled up to the school just as boys were starting to file out of the gym, and spotted Marie through the gym doors. I got out of my car, and went to stand out of her sight, only to jump her and drag her off towards my car.

"Shopping time!" I shouted at her excitedly, even though I knew we wouldn't be shopping today.

Marie groaned and tried unsuccessfully to pull her arm from my hand. "Alice I'm exhausted. I really don't mind shopping with you, but I agreed to go with you and your brothers tomorrow. Can't I get a reprieve?"

I pretended to pout, but inside I was happy. [Played right into my version of fate, sweetie.] "But Marie, it was supposed to be just us! It isn't the same with our boys there."

She seemed a little upset at this, "You mean your boys, Alice, not mine. I wouldn't lay claim to any of your brothers. And I promise we will go for our own 'girls-only' shopping trip. But I am so beat."

"How did it go by the way?" I asked, genuinely curious. I hadn't had any visions about her in the fight; I figured fighting in general was too spur of the moment for me to be able to watch. I started walking us towards my baby.

"Oh it went fine. I beat the boy I was pitted against four to none. But I should have beaten him much more than that." She sounded oddly disappointed in herself. I hurried to correct her.

"Marie, you beat him didn't you? That's all that matters. Now are you serious about making up that shopping trip?" I asked, though I already knew she was good to her word.

"Of course Alice. I won't bail on you. I wouldn't today, but … O my god, is that your car?" She stopped dead on both her feet as she took in my car. I could hear her mumbling softly to herself stats that I already knew about my sweet little car – her make, model, year, engine volume, horsepower, optional features, manufacturing facilities, maximum speed, fuel efficiency. [That's kind of impressive, actually. I guess she is a car enthusiast too. Hmm, how can I work that in her favor with Rosalie?]

-=-=-=-=-

**RPOV**

Alice, thankfully, let me off for not shopping this afternoon. Instead, we were going to her parent's house. I couldn't help but be slightly nervous – the last time I really met someone's parents, their house was stormed by a SWAT team, their front yard became a firebombed warzone, my protector got shot in the head, and we had to be rescued by the Blackbird.

Alice had picked me up some food, which was fantastic because I was starving. While I ate, she talked, and sped. [Has this car gone under 120 since we left the school parking lot?] I figured it was her car though, and honestly, Scott's bike was much more harrowing an experience. I knew this vehicle at least passed crash tests, thought that wouldn't do either of us any good at these speeds.

She suddenly turned off the main road down a narrow, nearly invisible driveway. My instincts went on full alert. [This is hidden.]

_Maybe they like their privacy._ (Bobby)

_More like they have something to hide. If they liked privacy, they would live somewhere less populated._ (Logan)

[Oh hush you two.] I turned to Alice, who was so happy it was practically radiating off of her in waves. I bit my lip nervously, "You sure this is alright with your parents? I don't want to be a burden."

She laughed, a tinkling bell-like sound, "Of course Marie. They have been really eager to meet you. Well, Esme has anyway. I think you already met Carlisle – for your physical for the fighting thing, right?"

"Yeah yeah." I was extremely nervous, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly why. I had a million and one reasons to not want to be here, but none of them was the source of my uncertain demeanor.

The car finally broke through the thick forest and a beautiful home came into the view. It was larger than Uncle Charlie's home, hell it was bigger than my parent's home, but it was still cozy compared to the mansion. There was a large garage attached to the main house, and as Alice pulled into her spot, my nervousness washed away into pure awe. [They have a collection of cars that would've made Scott proud. Wow, German, Italian, English, North American, Japanese. I think the cheapest car in here is the Volvo.]

Alice noticed my distraction, and pulled me away from the garage into the house. My heart rate accelerated as I realized I was going to 'meet the parents.' [God I pray this goes better than last time.].

I breathed deeply as Alice opened their front door. "Mom, Dad? I'm home and I brought a guest." I instinctively scanned the room for quick exits and potential blind spots. [Thanks Logan. If they are really out to kill me, I have 5 possible escape routes planned. I am sure that's necessary.] I stared at a huge wooden cross that hung across from the entry way. [Are they Catholic?]

A beautiful brunette walked into the room. [No beautiful is an understatement. Jean was beautiful – this woman is a goddess, just like all her adopted children.]

"Hi dear. I'm Esme Cullen. You must be Anna Marie. I've heard so much about you." I shook her hand limply – her voice was so warm and inviting, but her hand was the same biting cold as Edward and Alice's. She had the same topaz eyes.

"Hi. You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Cullen. Thank you for having me." I smiled, trying to make a good impression with my Southern manners.

"Oh there is nothing to thank me for. You are very sweet. And please, call me Esme." She really did seem nice, in a way, she reminded me of Mom. Esme was genteel and yet confidently firm.

I heard someone bounding down what must have been stairs, and turned back towards the back of the house to see the large boy from gym – Emmett – burst through a door in the back of the Great room. "Marie! What brings you here?"

"Oh Alice invited me over. Where's Rosalie? I don't think I've ever seen you without her by your side." He smiled at this, but I couldn't figure out why. [Is there something funny about her sticking to him like white on rice? I'd swear they were newly weds with how they act.]

As if on cue, Rosalie joined us, cutting a quick glare in my direction before smoothing her face into a neutral disinterest. "Hello Marie. Esme, Emmett and I are going to go on a walk. Don't wait up." With that, she jerked Emmett's arm along out the front door, him turning and winking at me, "Good to see you again Marie. Wicked game of dodge-ball today by the way!".

[How could she pull him like that? I mean, she's tall but he is all muscle. And what was with the way she spoke to Mrs. Cullen? Something tells me they are up to more than just a walk.] I think about what they could be doing, and then mentally scoff, [Oh great, they really are teenagers in love. Fantastic mental images, Rogue. That is really what I want to be thinking about right now.]

I smile back at Mrs. Cullen, and nod in their direction, "Are they always like that?" I wasn't entirely sure what I was referring to, her possessiveness, his twelve-year-old demeanor, their blatant sexuality, but apparently Alice did, and she giggled, "Yeah, it can get kind of aggravating."

We walked into the living room, and Mrs. Cullen asked me if I would like anything to drink. I thought about refusing, but I felt utterly exhausted. "Do you have coffee?" It seemed as though her smile got even wider, "Yes of course. I'll go fix some." She gracefully swept from the room, leaving me alone with Alice again. "So, your mom seems nice."

"Esme's wonderful. She's really happy you are here too. She absolutely loves being hostess." Alice was still radiating energy – just being around her made me feel drained. I felt weird that she called her mom by her first name, even if it was her foster mom. I felt bad that I had let her go make me coffee – I was perfectly capable of making my own.

"Why don't I go help her with the coffee. Are you going to want any?"

Alice made a face, "Umm, no thank you."

Esme walked in before I made it through the door to the kitchen area, two cups of coffee in hand, and we sat down in their great room. I had noticed the sleek black piano the minute I walked in, but now it sat directly in front of me, taunting me. [I haven't played since my mutation manifested.] I involuntarily shivered as I thought about why I hadn't played.

At first, it reminded me too much of my mom, but after absorbing Erik, the German pieces I knew by heart and loved I could no longer even think about without wincing from his memories. The Nazi's had played music written by German composers at the death camp, as some sick form of propaganda.

I realized this shortly after returning to the mansion following the Statue of Liberty incident, when I met with Professor Xavier to review my mutation. He had had Bach playing, and I had shut out the outside world, terrified and mesmorized as Erik recognized the piece.

_Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G major_ He had told me in an agonized whisper as my mind's eye watched a Jewish girl cut open her fingers and spread blood on her cheekbones and lips. She would have been pretty at one point, perhaps, but her ribs and hipbones jutted out awkwardly from her thin skin. She couldn't have been more than 15. She was running, but tripped and fell out of line. I had watched, as Erik had, as she was drug away to a wall, with other ghost-like people. When the guards raised their guns to fire, the Professor had called me out of my memories. I had noticed that the music was stopped, and he had been staring at me with the upmost pity in his eyes.

He never played music again before our sessions.

Alice broke me from my revere by gently tapping my shoulder. "Marie? You spacing out on me girl?"

I shrugged, and grabbed the coffee. It smelled really fresh, but was missing my favorite spices, chicory and cinnamon. [I doubt they even have that here.] I drank deeply, and turned to Alice, "What were you asking?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to check out the University of Washington while we were in Seattle tomorrow. Edward and I were going to go there, and Seattle University."

I was confused, they wanted to check out a university campus? It dawned on me then, [Oh Juniors. They want to check out potential colleges.] I was stunned a little. I hadn't really thought much about life after high school – I did well in school, but before the Cure, college that didn't consist of purely correspondence courses wasn't a possibility for me. I realized an answer was expected of me, but not knowing what to say, I mumbled, "Um, sure. That sounds cool."

Mrs. Cullen looked disappointed at my answer, but I was temporarily saved by Edward bursting in the back door. He spotted me and his eyes narrowed briefly; they were a bright Mardi Gras golden-yellow hue. Mrs. Cullen turned towards him and he immediately straightened up, "Well hello Marie. Decided not to go shopping after all?"

"No I was exhausted after practice this afternoon. The guy I was sparring with was like an animal. Still beat him though." I finished my coffee and set the cooling mug back on the coffee table. Mrs. Cullen grabbed it and sped back off towards the kitchen. I noticed Edward's glare was back, and I grew irritated at him.

_Calm down Marie. He isn't worth it. _Several of my voices reassured me. This somehow didn't alleviate my uneasiness, and I subconsciously moved back in my chair away from the seat he was in.

"So where do you guys want to go tomorrow? The Nordstrom's is having a fantastic sale..." Alice droned on about shopping, and as she spoke, Edward slowly loosened up and stopped glaring at me. Mrs. Cullen never came back in that I saw, but I guess she wanted to be polite and leave us to ourselves. "Marie, what do you think?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"It would be worth it to go to Bellevue Square too, since we'll already be out there. Would you mind? I promise it won't be that much longer." She looked really hopeful, and I felt like I was staring at Jubilee, begging me to please go with her to the mall, again, so that she could nurse her shopping habit. [But I already owe her a second shopping trip.] I formed a deal in my head, "Does this get me out of our additional shopping trip?"

She pouted, seeming to think about it for a moment, before she begrudgingly nodded, "Okay fine. But we stay as long as I need to." Ha, that I could agree to. No one said I had to shop. Malls were great places for watching people anyway.

Our conversation switched to things that we could do in Seattle, besides shopping, and we were slowly joined by Jasper, Mrs. Cullen, and finally Dr. Cullen. The conversation started to steer back towards college choices and future plans, and I got uncomfortable. I could only artfully dodge their questions so long before I would come off as rude.

I glanced around for a clock, but a glimpse outside startled me when I took in how dark it was. "Alice I have to go! Uncle Charlie is going to be worried sick about me."

"Give him a call and tell him I'm bringing you home soon."

I did so, and we left quickly. The drive was quiet and peaceful, and I enjoyed Alice's complete disregard of the posted speed limit. When one drives such a fine piece of engineering like this car, speed limits are irrelevant. This I was sure we agreed on. She told me she'd pick me up at 8 in the morning, if that was alright, and bid me goodnight.

Uncle Charlie had ordered pizza, and was watching television with a beer when I got in. I grabbed a few slices and told him goodnight as I wondered up the stairs. I took a hot shower, and did some stretching afterwards to soothe my muscles. It was already 11 pm, and I knew I needed to go to bed soon if I was going to make it through tomorrow.

[Not like I'll sleep all night anyway.] I remembered my window, and tightly shut and locked it before I went to bed, passing out quickly in the dark comfort of my room.

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_


	10. 10: Dreams and reality

A/n: A quicker, but shorter chapter, as requested. Hope it answers some questions.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. Dreams and sharing

[Person's personal thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

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I am standing in a white plain. It's infinite, stretching all the way to the horizon. [Mus be the astral plane. I wonder where my mental constructs – the mansion and my characters went?] The sky is a burnt, swirling orange, that is changing, but constant in a way. Towards the far horizon, I see a blackness creeping towards me – it's moving fast. I turn and run, but its hollowness overtook me and I am burning up with an arctic cold. I squeeze my eyes shut from the feeling – it's so overwhelming it is painful – and I am brought immediately to a different scene.

Their is shouting, and screaming, of people and of metals twisting and loosing the battle for their lives and forms. It strikes me as a beautiful sound – the sound of life ending in a glorious way. My eyes open, and all around me chaos ensues.

Two distinctive clans, no three, are at war. I recognize one of the clans working together in green and black uniforms of the modern soldier, numerous but quickly falling at the hands of the second largest clan, which looks rather rag-tag in comparison, bearing no common uniform, with the exception of the Greek letter tattoo across the skin of most of their soldiers. The final group is small, no more than five that I ca see, but they are dressed neck to toe in similar black leather that is marked with an X. My consciousness tries to tell me something, but I am too distracted to pay attention.

My surroundings are dusty and swirling in the wind, a building is collapsing piece by piece, and a bridge is strangely stacked at the shoreline. It looks like it was thrown down from the sky, with its cables strewn about haphazardly, and its concrete drive in broken pieces at its entrance. Water surrounds the small area that I can see, and I notice that it too appears to be swirling with the wind, upwards. The sky is filled in bursts with thousands of needle-bearing bullets. I turn my interest back towards the clans fighting.

The modern soldiers have been nearly overwhelmed, and the rag-tag Greek-letter bearers are storming forward. Someone shouts at me in irritation, and I curl my upper lip. [Who dare speak to me in that way.] My irritation grows stronger as the battle raged on, and I feel my anger and wrath surge forth. Power like I have never felt before burned through my veins, leaking from every pore and I watch as my surroundings turn to ash. [Let it all burn away. Fools, all of them. I shall burn all these clans for their insolence.]

I notice, too late, that a man is approaching me. He bears the remains of the smallest clan's black-leather uniform. Again, something in my mind tickles, but I ignore it and try to will him into ash as well. I feel satisfaction as his skin starts to peel away into dust, like so many of these other mortals around me, but my victory is brief. His skin regenerates before my eyes and he continues his march towards me un-thwarted and mostly whole. [How can he... no one bests me.] I try again to destroy this creature, but I can feel my power and hold on this vessel slipping and watch as the body I hold slips from my control.

"Kill me" I whisper, but the words are not mine. I realize with disappointment that this soul has been stronger than I expected – even after destroying her own mate, this woman still has the willpower to override me. [I will be back.] I promise her and my murderer, as I allow myself to drift into the astral plane, searching for a connection.

-=-=-=-=-=-

I drifted into consciousness with the words "I will be back" on my lips. [What the hell was that?]

_I don't know for sure darlin', but I have suspicions. Let's just hope I'm wrong._ (Logan)

I grabbed my journal from my bag, vaguely noticing with satisfaction that the window was still shut and locked, and began to sketch what I could remember of the dream. I drew the bridge – [it must be a landmark, though it looked wrong the way the bridge had been connected to the island] – and write down the details I remembered. [It might be an island, or maybe a bay with a peninsula?] I couldn't remember anything else, other than the building that was falling apart, and a few guard towers. I moved on to the people I saw fighting, and drew a representative of each member. The clan in green looked very similar to some government group, so I wrote that down. The rag-tag group I remembered having a Greek symbol on their face – omega? Finally, I drew the third group, from memory, and stared at the image.

+++Flashback+++

I am standing over Logan's prone, bloodied body as he struggles to breath. He initially wasn't breathing at all, but his healing factor kicked it up a notch and his body is taking shuddering, rasping breaths, straining to inflate holey lungs. I have to resist the urge to growl at Jean each time her hand lingers on his skin any longer than I deem absolutely necessary, but I can't understand why. Looking back, I know it was the feral in his mutation and personality, but at the time it was very embarrassing.

She was dressing a stomach wound that looked extremely gruesome, and brushed his torn pants over his crotch. I didn't even think as I pinned her to the wall of the jet, feeling a painful itching as claws emerged from hands that were wrapped around her throat. My bare hands, that were wrapped around her bare throat. My own mind took back control quickly and I let go. She looked a little more tired and dazed, but slyly had smiled back up at me from where her body had collapsed next to Logan's, "You don't tell and I won't. Deal?" I refused to shake her hand, and instead went back to the front of the plane, knowing I couldn't control myself around her.

-=-=-=-=-=-

I could finally breathe, my mental chains loosened by my captor's efforts. I had waited too long for this moment to come, and I knew I needed to take advantage of it while I could. I began manipulating her mind - highlighting flaws in that fiance of hers, whom I despised for his so-called control, and the beauty of the feral, untamed and without submission to time in his ageless body. Most intriguing to me, however, was the leech that was recently introduced to the picture. I knew she offered me a refuge, and purposefully goaded her, knowing the wild one that was currently dominant in her personality would take the gauntlet I threw down. A piece of me fell through her connection - she had power, limitless power. And one day, it would be mine.

+++End flashback+++

I shook as a realization hit me; I knew exactly what Logan meant – the black-leather clad clan was the X-men. My dream wasn't a dream at all – it was a memory of the Phoenix, the powerful, darker personality of Jean Gray. And it was in my head.

-=-=-=-=-=-

**APOV**

I was ecstatic at how well Marie's visit went. [Everyone behaved so well. Except for the college thing. What high school junior that is doing that well in classes hasn't thought about going to college?]

"I was wondering the same thing Alice. So is everyone else, well, except Rosalie and Emmett of course." I spun around to see Edward standing at my doorway. [Come on in, brother. We need to talk]

"Here?"

[Like this – just decide what you are going to say, and I'll see it. What did you think of her little display today in the gym? You went pretty caveman on us all; I was really worried we would have to restrain you from hurting that poor Darrell boy.]

'_Edward turns to me, "I don't know Alice. I have never felt that kind of possessiveness before; I've never felt a lot of what I felt today before." He ducked his head, and I knew if he could blush, he would. "I couldn't stop staring at her in Biology – it was like I was a 17-year old hormonal human boy. I was as bad as Emmett." His arm flailed wide to convey is shock and the outrageous nature of his statement.'_

[Calm down Edward. It's perfectly normal for you to react that way when you have found your potential mate.]

"My what?" He forgot to just decide to say this, instead shouting his response at me. I heard the rest of the house go silent as our forever curious and nosy family stopped to listen in. [Edward! Just decide, don't actually speak. Now you have everyone's attention.] "You can all go back to what you were doing, this is a private discussion." I said in at a normal volume but in an irritated tone.

Edward sat down on the bed next to me. '_ "What do you mean, my potential mate?" '_

[Edward, when I first had a vision of Jasper, I couldn't stop myself from replaying his face in my mind for days. Think of how Rosalie was when she found Emmett; how does he behave when human boys look at her the wrong way? The obsessiveness, and downright possessiveness, is all part of the package. Your inner Eddie thinks Marie has potential – the forever kind of potential] I silently giggled as his brow scrunched up on his forehead.

'_ "I think you are wrong Alice. I would never introduce anyone – much less her - to this life. She deserves a happy, normal, human life. We can't – I can't – deny her that." ' _ He stood up and walked over to her window wall.

[Edward, I haven't seen her become one of us yet. And I don't know what will happen to you two – I see glimpses of you two together as often as I see glimpses of her completely alone. But when I see you together, you two really could be perfect together. Just promise me that you won't push her when she's upset. I don't want to see you two get hurt.]

Edward walked out of the room, without looking back at me. Jasper gave him a look, and walked in. "Hi Darlin', you wanna go hunt with me?"

We headed out, far from mental hearing range of our gifted, nosy brother, before we started hunting. I think we were deep in the Olympic National Forest, but thankfully, no tourists come here during the winter months. After I had drained a few goats and black bears, Jasper asked me if I was finished and could talk.

"You rode home with Marie today, right?" I nodded, unable to see where he was going. "Did you smell it? Her blood... did you catch its scent?" I gave Jasper a curious look. [Why is he smelling her blood? How did he smell her blood?]

He seemed to pick up on my thoughts, "Something is very different about Marie's blood. I hadn't noticed it before today, because I hadn't been very close to her, but, well, maybe it's because I used to, umm, hunt humans, but I am more sensitive to differences in people's blood. "

He paused, obviously uncomfortable with the subject, as I could feel his discomfort projecting onto me, but I nodded for him to continue. "She wasn't bleeding, but I was close enough to smell her. You know how venom smells almost sweet and rotten? She smells very tart and almost green. Instinct tells me its like poison, but I can't fathom what kind of poison could be in her veins."

I rocked back on my heels, contemplating my husband's thoughts and my own visions. [If anything, maybe I should tell him what I've seen. He'd keep it a secret, and maybe he knows has a better idea of what she may be.]

"Jasper, I can't smell anything different, but I know, or rather, I've seen that she's different." I took a deep but unnecessary breath. "I had a vision – in it, she got really angry and killed Edward." I left out a lot of the detail, but I was hoping he wouldn't need that.

His eyes bulged a little. "How?" he whispered.

"The angrier she got, the more her appearance changed. She, she transformed Jazzy. I meant, sweet Marie was gone and in her place, there was a glorious monster, with red and white hair and black-red eyes." I trembled as I thought of the creature, the predator, that was lurking under Marie's skin. "It mentioned hating humanity, and all the lives they both had stolen, and then he was gone. It was like he dissolved away." I dry sobbed the last part, still unable to believe what I had seen, and Jasper held me while I wept. I could feel his confusion and concern radiating off of him as he comforted me. "What can we do?"

Resolve echoed through me, "Keep her calm. She only did it because she was upset. She even asked, begged him to stop pushing her. It wasn't until then that she snapped."

"I'll do what I can, Alice. I don't want to loose Edward. Should we leave?"

"No, something tells me we need to stay. Besides, her getting angry without us around could lead to more devastating consequences. I don't want anyone to get hurt, but even though I can't see what will happen, I know we need to be here."

"I won't bet against you, darlin'" and he kissed my forehead, filling me with confidence and love.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

**EPOV**

I watched Marie sleep from the tree outside her window. She had locked it tonight – I guess she finally realized it was creeping open. I could have gone in anyway, but the window was the quickest escape, and I didn't want to get caught. [I know watching her sleep is creepy, but I can't help it. I feel so drawn to her.]

She looked frightened, but then eerily calm. I watched her posture shift, and her sleeping form grow more disturbed. [I shouldn't be here; I can't watch her suffer through another nightmare.]

As debating whether or not to go in and calm her down, she spoke softly. Her words wrenched my still heart, though I could barely hear them through her window, "Kill me". She chanted, like a prayer on her lips, "I will be back," three times and woke up.

I watched with intense curiosity, still not able to break through the mental void that was Marie, as she moved her lips to words unspoken. She does that a lot – even though I can't hear her, I would bet that her mind is busy all the time. She walked over to her desk and began drawing intently, producing several sketches, each vividly detailed from what I catch glimpses of as she moved them around.

She had been working on one of them for over half an hour now, and the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon. Today was cloudy according to Alice, but I still didn't want to risk being caught her. She stopped suddenly in the midst of her sketching and stared at the image before her. Her face, for once, was an open book. She looked utterly terrified as one word escaped her lips, "Phoenix."

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_


	11. 11: Shopping part 1

_+_+_+_+_+_+_

A/n: This one's pretty fluffy, but I felt like some more regular scenes were in order after the last few chapters. Sorry if its a little alter than expected. It's also longer than the last one. I just can't do short chapters. Please review. I noticed my last chapter was way down on hits, and I want to know if you choose to stop reading, what turned you off. Or if you are still reading, what keeps you interested.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. Shopping part 1

[Person's thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

**RPOV**

[I need to call Storm, or Logan, or, God-damn-it what do I do?] I pulled on my hair – the pain helping me reel in my mind from the brink of hysteria that I was bordering on. I was now in total freak-out mode.

_Rogue calm down. Phoenix can't do anything – you're a human now, remember?_ (Bobby)

_Besides, I am not so sure that conversation would go so well. 'Hi, just wanted to let you know that the student you kicked out for being a gene traitor is now harboring the psyche of one of the most powerful mutants ever known.' _(John)

_Strategically speaking, Rogue, the greater good would be to eliminate the chance that the Phoenix could return. _(Erik)

[In English, Erik]

_You would have to die._

[WHAT? But I'm human – it can't do any harm. Could they kill me? They wouldn't – they are good people.]

_Oh come on Roguey. If Logan could kill Jean, he can kill you too. _(John)

_It would be better to eliminate you now, while she is dormant. _(Erik)

_Marie, you don't have to worry about that now. For now, you are human – and we don't have any proof that it's temporary. _(Logan)

[But... but she's here. She's in me, she's with me.] I trembled in fear. What if she overcame me? Could she take over? Dominate me and push my personalities to the wayside?

_I agree with Logan, dear. To use a colloquialism, you will cross that bridge when you come to it, if it comes at all._ (Erik)

[But should I do it? I mean, if I am really that dangerous, then shouldn't I take care of it myself before Phoenix can stop me?] I felt guilty; I had always been a danger to everyone else, and now that danger was potentially greater than ever.

_**NO!**_ multiple voices shouted at me. [Ouch] I held my head in my hands.

_You will not suffer the same fate that she did – you are mentally stronger than Jean Gray ever was._

I shook my head in disagreement, still looking down. [I am so weak. Erik, I couldn't even harness my own mutation's power. The professor and I tried – we spent hours working on building mental shields. If I can't control myself, how could I possibly control her?]

_You misunderstand me child. The mental fortitude you posses is astounding. Charles didn't fail to teach you control; he never wanted you to have control. _

[What? The professor would never do that. He tried, he wanted me to have it!] I slammed my fist down on my desk, and winced when it made a noise, reminding me that Uncle Charlie was still in the next room, [You, you have to be lying, Erik. You're wrong. He was going to help me.]

_Rogue, you would have been too powerful with the kind of control you sought. You never really knew Xavier. You need to know what truly happened to Jean. _

He paused, and apparently felt my acquiescence to this topic, and continued, _She was a very powerful mutant as a child, and like most children, willful. Charles insisted that she couldn't control her mutation herself and was too dangerous, so he placed mental blocks to separate and block her power. He had said at the time that he would teach her to use them slowly, but as time passed, the part of Jean that was powerful grew resentful of its cage and of him, and he never, from what I know, let it out. I ultimately left his cause because of this. I believe that those walls started to break down – thus this incident that you remember from after the Statue of Liberty incident. _

[How could he have done that?] I felt like crying. I had trusted the professor completely when I was with the X-men, but now, I couldn't help but question his methods. Could the man that I knew and loved as a father have been this manipulative?

_Rogue, he did what he thought was right and good. Believe me when I say that he didn't do these things out of a desire to hurt or control people, as least not consciously. But he did strongly believe that his way was the best, and would spend hours debating people until they agreed. That's why he was such a powerful mutant rights lobbyist. I never agreed with his restraints, and it eventually led to his demise, as you well know. It may have even led to mine. _

[But why would he hold me back? And how could I possibly control the Phoenix?]

_Rogue, there are very standard methods to helping mutants control their abilities, none of which did he try with you. The Phoenix is a very jealous and angry entity now, from being isolated and caged. But you have experience controlling new psyches, and new powers. And your personality hasn't been fractured like Jean's had._

_You do have a good handle on your anger and resentment Rogue. I mean, you never even popped Bobby a good one like he deserves. _(John)

_Hey, I didn't mean to do it. Honestly, I never meant to hurt you. _(Bobby)

_I oughta gut you for that. Hell, I don't know how I never picked up on it. (_Logan)

_Perhaps you were engaged otherwise._ Erik replied, laughing as he drew up an image of Logan flirting with Jean, and being rejected, from one of John's memories.

We all laughed, and I was grateful for the reprieve from our serious conversation.

_We will be here to help you if the time comes. _(Logan)

[I know. Thank you for that.]

_Shouldn't you get some sleep? I'd bet shopping with Alice is no less exhausting than with Jubilee, and those girls could even wear me out. _(John)

[Nahh, I think I'll just stay up. It's already 3 am anyway.]

_I want ice cream._ (Bobby)

I smiled. Bobby and his ice-cream rendezvous were infamous at the mansion. It was too fitting that the iceman would crave ice cream like no-body's business – the whole bad boy X-men visage totally destroyed by his favorite flavor: strawberry chocolate swirl.

_Screw that. I wish I a cigar. Or a woman. _(Logan)

_Or a glass of bourbon. _(Erik)

_Or could go shopping. _(Jubilee)y)

_Or coffee _(random trucker personality)

_Or a nice shot of vodka. _(Piotr)

[Or a cigarette]

I frowned, [I thought that was your addiction Johnny.]

_I really just liked to light them babe. You were the one that liked to actually smoke them. Besides, if you smoke long enough, you get addicted too. You placated me for a year or so, so, yah. Join the club._ (John)

[Damn it John! I didn't want to be a smoker. And I figured with the cure and all, well I guess I didn't exactly loose you so I can't be that surprised I didn't loose your habits. I wanted to quit!]

_You still can. You just, you know, have to actually quit. _(John)

[Heh. With you and Logan? I'll have to get some when we go shopping tomorrow I guess. That blows.]

_Sorry Sheila. _

I trudged downstairs to make coffee and ice cream, indulging myself, or my selves, in what I could.

**EPOV**

I watched as this creature I had fallen in love with seemed to be struggling with an internal debate. After the Phoenix comment, she didn't say a word but was doing that thing she does, where she mouths words silently, almost nonstop for nearly a half an hour. At one point she slammed her fist down, but then looked towards Charlie's room, where he was dreaming of fishing by the way, and at another she was in tears. I wished I could go in and comfort her – this dream seemed to be upsetting her more than it should have.

_**NO**_. It was a whisper of mental voices – lots of mental voices. My brow furrowed in confusion as I tried to figure out where it had come from, it couldn't have possibly been Marie, she's only one person after all. But maybe... could it be? Maybe she really is schizophrenic. My heart sank at the thought. I watched as she finally seemed to calm down, and headed downstairs. [I guess she isn't going back to sleep.] I sighed and took off back to my home, eager to share what I had learned with Alice. Somehow, I think she has the missing pieces to the puzzle that is Marie.

As I approached the house, I realized that Jasper and Alice weren't inside, and could smell their trail leading off into the woods, probably for a late hunting trip before being surrounded by humans tomorrow. Poor Jasper put up with so much for Alice – I know his thirst was harder to control than the rest of ours, because he was the only alcoholic among us that had actually indulged in his addiction freely, and for such a long time. Even my few years of rebellion couldn't compare to the countless lives he had taken – innocent lives. Not that I blamed him. I knew he had no choice, knew no other way, and in that, his own sacrifice to choose this life is made that much more powerful.

As I came upon them, I could smell the buried carcasses that had been left in their wake. They were obviously done hunting.

_I hope she doesn't hurt Alice. If Marie is as unstable as Alice is making her out to be, she could very well kill us all and not even realize it. She sounds like a newborn._

"Jasper, stop. He's coming!"

Immediately his thoughts switched to thinking about second World War strategies on the North African front, but the damage was done. Alice, obviously, had already seen that.

_Edward, please. He's keeping quiet on my request. If you have issues take them out on me._

"What are you hiding from me Alice? This has gone on long enough!" I growled to her as I reached the small clearing the two of them were in. They were sitting hand-in-hand on a fallen log, but at my sudden appearance, my blond brother sank into a crouch in front of his mate and my sister. I raised my hands in surrender – I knew I couldn't beat Jasper in a fair fight, and right now, I didn't want to.

"Please Alice. You've been blocking me, why? I need to know." I pleaded, Jasper having gotten up and instead taking a position behind her, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist and letting his eyes glower at me.

"Edward, it... it isn't my story to tell. And I have only seen very little." She tried to weasel out of it, but I could tell she was going to give in, so I continued.

"Look Alice, I might, I mean, I... I'm falling in love with this girl. I have to know what's going on. You should have seen her tonight. Did you? I mean, she's... she's not right, she's not normal." I clenched my teeth unnecessarily. Alice, having been in a mental institution for what bits of her human life she was able to piece together, generally did not take well to accusations of mental instability. I tried to tread carefully, "I think she's not well, mentally."

Alice's eyes went very dark, and suddenly Jasper was holding her down to the bench. "Alice, she speaks to herself, a lot." She didn't look any less angry. "and tonight, I heard multiple voices coming from her head. It had to have been her, only her and Chief Swan were nearby." I whispered the last part, though Alice and Jasper could have heard me clearly.

Alice slowly calmed down, mostly due to Jasper's help. When she spoke, it wasn't what I was expecting, "I know she isn't normal. But I don't think it's that she's crazy. Jasper and I have both noticed some things that aren't quite right."

Jasper nodded and proceeded to explain to me her blood's smell. I hadn't been able to notice the taint, I suppose because I was too overwhelmed by its call to me, but now that he mentioned it, perhaps this was the reason why I had been able to resist her blood at all. In theory, I shouldn't have been able to hold back from draining my singer, or so Carlisle has told me.

"Edward, I saw her do something... distinctively non-human. When I asked you to not make her angry, it was because of a vision I had." I growled at her, why was she keeping information from me, from us? "I just knew I couldn't tell the whole family. We can't tell the whole family. Rosalie will argue for us to kill her, and I can't see clearly if we do that or just move. But we need to be here. I don't know why yet, but I know we do. "

"Will you show me the vision?"

She nodded, and I watched through her mind's eye as I argued with Marie, as her features changed and she became even more glorious, and finally, as I became ash before her. I was panting at the end of the vision, out of fear, out of terror, but mostly, out of shock. This woman that I loved was a goddess, powerful and more of a predator than I was.

Jasper punched my arm, "Hey man, cut it out." He gave me a stern look, _I can tell what you're feeling man. I know she appeals to you, but you have to remember, based on what we have seen from her so far, she doesn't seem to know. And regardless, she isn't one of us._

I rolled my eyes, "So what do we do tomorrow? Should we confront her?"

"No. We wait. And watch. I think over time the pieces will fall into place better, but for now that's all we can do."

We mulled this over in silence, and the sky began to lighten.

"Yah! Time to go shopping."

Jasper and I groaned loudly as we chased after towards the house.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

**RPOV**

I was on my third cup of coffee by the time Uncle Charlie woke up. "Marie, what are you doing up so early?"

I motioned towards the coffee pot, silently asking him if he wanted a cup, and he nodded. As I poured his cup, I replied "I have shopping trip with Alice Cullen today. I think she said we're going to Seattle, and she is supposed to pick me up at 8."

He nodded and gratefully took the cup from my hands. "Well, be careful. Don't speed, wait, whose driving?"

"Alice" I smiled, at least, I was pretty sure Alice was driving. Then again, her Porshe was a two-seater, and there was supposed to be the four of us.

"Oh, well, I guess I don't have anything to worry about then. Those kids haven't put a foot out of line since they moved here."

I nodded, absent-minded. He mumbled something to me about fishing and was out the door quickly. I was still staring down my cup of coffee when I heard a loud knocking on the front door. [Shit.] I had obviously dozed off and forgotten about the shopping trip - and I was still in my freaking pajamas. "Just a minute."

I ran up the stairs two at a time and threw on blue jeans and a t-shirt. I grabbed over-the-elbow, brown leather gloves and a jacket and ran back downstairs, throwing the door open. "Sorry sorry. I lost track of time."

"It's fine, Marie. Come on, Jasper and Edward are waiting in the car. You grabbed your wallet?"

I spun back inside and nipped it from my school jacket that was hanging next to the door. "Thanks Alice. Now I'm ready." I locked the door with the spare key and tucked it into my pants pocket. A Ferrari, no, not any Ferrari, a freakin' brand new Ferrari 612 was sitting in Charlie's front lawn. My jaw dropped a little. Scott would have loved to see this car. Edward got out, letting Alice and I crawl into the backseat, and Jasper drove.

The ride to Seattle was supposed to be a 3 and a half hour drive, if we took the ferry, so I was ready for a long, boring drive. Surprisingly, though, the conversation never seemed to dull. Alice entertained us with jokes and past-time memories about the family, and when she could manage to get Edward to laugh, it was the mot beautiful sound in the world.

"One time, Emmett..."

"Oh come on Alice. Can't a guy ever live that down?" Edward said pleadingly, halfway turned around in his front seat.

"No. So one time, Emmett decided to get into a bet with Edward over guitar hero. Emmett, by the way, is fantastic at the game – he's never lost to any of us. Anyway, so Edward thought he could beat Emmett, and totally lost. I mean, Emmett whooped his..."

"Oh come on Alice, get to the point."

Alice stuck her tongue out at him, "Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted," Jasper laughed at this, cutting her off, "Edward had made a terrible bet. He agreed to do any one thing Emmett asked for, so he made him drink this awful concoction of ketchup, bacon grease, rum, melted ice cream, and syrup." I gagged – that sounded absolutely disgusting.

"I drank it didn't I?"

"Yeah man, and then you regurgitated all over Emmett and Rosalie's bed in revenge."

Edward's laugh filled the car again, and I smiled in response, feeling a twinge of happiness for the first time in a very long time. Jasper looked at me through the rear-view mirror, giving me a strange, knowing look, before continuing, "Rosie was so pissed. I think Emmett had to sleep on the couch for weeks."

For some reason, the fact that the siblings in the Cullen house were dating one another didn't bother me at all. I think it reminded me of the closeness at the institute. Everyone knew everyone, and living together wasn't exactly a choice. Besides, many of us, myself included, had been adopted by Xavier. Of the multiple ID's I had, one of them had my full name listed as Rogue D. Xavier. I hadn't used it since I left, knowing that they could probably track it, but I also couldn't bring myself to give it up. Being a part of that family meant something to me, even if they now rejected me for what I had chosen to become.

"Marie?" Alice's voice stirred me out of my musings – damn I have been doing that a lot. That's twice today. I noticed Jasper looked at me a little concerned, and I shook my head a little, "Sorry, what was that?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to take the ferry or drive through Tacoma?"

"Oh, either was is fine to me." Though truth be told, I didn't like the idea of being on a boat – no easy escape if something went wrong. I was relieved when we turned away from the ferry terminal.

"So, Marie, do you have any funny stories about your friends from back home?" The question was innocent enough – I knew Alice meant well. But how could I explain any of the funny things that had happened without revealing that I was a mutant? Bobby and John were always pulling pranks on one another, but usually it had to do more with power wars than anything else. The mansion had been rather dull since John left.

"Nah, I'm just boring. But Emmett sounds like quite the character. Sounds like someone needs to knock him off of his Guitar hero Pedestal." They looked at me bizarrely, "I am the Hero of Hero's. I've never been beat. In fact, one time, my friend who was really, really good with video games challenged me to a duel, blindfolded, and I still beat him."

I giggled to myself as I remembered how shocked Jones had been. He may have played all video games more times than I can count, and been able to manipulate the electronics in his favor, but I'd absorbed too much of other people's memories, and had somehow memorized every level and every song. I could have played deaf and blind and still beaten him. "I made him wear a maid's outfit and take over clean up duties in the girl's dormitory for the week after that – he never lived it down."

Edward shifted in his seat, "I didn't know you went to a boarding school." [Crap, I wasn't thinking about that.] I turned my attention up front, trying to think of a good explanation, when I realized that we had come really far already. I saw a sign for Tacoma and checked the dashboard. It was only 45 after 8. "Damn Jasper! I thought you guys were supposed to be model teenagers or something, not speed demons."

He immediately braked, hard, and I felt the car's speed drop drastically. I didn't even want to look at the dashboard. I sighed, "That wasn't what I meant. I mean, go whatever speed you want. I just wasn't expecting it, that's all. Just don't get me killed, alright? I kinda don't want to go home in a box." He sped up a little, but obviously me and my big mouth had put an end to the 200+ mph driving. Secretly I was a little grateful. I didn't want them to get a ticket and then Uncle Charlie give me hell about hanging out with them.

Luckily, the subject about my boarding school experience had been dropped, and we continued in silence as we pulled up to the Emerald city on I-5. I was stunned at its weird ethereal beauty. The other cities I had seen, even through other people's eyes, did not seem to have anything on this dark and depressing skyline – it was like it had been made after my own heart. I laughed to myself, and Alice gave me a look. "It's just... Seattle is a little like Gotham City. It's definitely no New York City."

Alice yelped, "You've been to New York? Oh my god did you go shopping there?"

"Umm, yeah, I've been. But I didn't really go shopping. I was... doing other things." [Like surviving the streets as a homeless person and getting killed by a crazy terrorist.]

_I am not, or was not, a crazy terrorist. I was fighting for your freedom. _(Erik)

[We have been over this Erik. Now I thought you all would leave me alone today.] My voices collectively sighed, and I turned my attention back to the outside world, only to be greeted by three pairs of staring golden eyes. "Uhh, guys?"

Alice was the first to recover, "Oh, you phased out there for a second. Anyway, we're here." And indeed we were. I couldn't see exactly where here was because at the moment we were in a large parking garage. Alice's excitement and enthusiasm seemed to infect us all, and we walked outside and down several stairs to the streets of downtown.

It wasn't nearly as busy as New York City, for which I was grateful, and the shopping malls were more limited. We went to the Nordstrom's first, Alice bounding around, grabbing outfits off of the racks with barely a glance, and piling them up on Jasper's arms. I laughed out loud at the sight, whispering to Edward, "Is she always like that?"

He chuckled softly, "Yes, in fact, this is fairly calm compared to usual."

I wandered the isles slowly, gently fingering their racks of scarves and gloves. I tested each fabric's softness with my cheek, instead of removing my own gloves. I jumped when a cold hand laid on my shoulder, and turned around to see a smirking Edward, "Alice is looking for you. Apparently she has found some things you should try on."

My jaw dropped in horror. [That crazy pixie had been shopping for me?] I tried to mutter my grateful but respectful decline, but he grabbed my arm, over my jacket, and hauled me towards the dressing rooms, where Alice stood cheerily with a rack's worth of clothing piled up on the bench. "Oh I can't wait to see you in a skirt with heels!"

I shook my head vehemently. "No, Alice." She pouted, but I knew myself better than that. I stepped into the dressing room and she started tossing clothes over the door to me. Her first outfit was pretty simple: a pair of nice black slacks with a short-sleeved white blouse and shiny red kitten heels. I put it on, and replaced my gloves. They didn't quite go with the outfit, but I had some black ones at home that I knew would.

I stepped out and Alice's eyes lit up. She, and Edward and Jasper, gave me a once over, the boys allowing their eyes to linger a little longer on the gloves. "So, what do you think?" I hid my hands behind my back – their stares were making me uncomfortable. Immediately all three of them looked up, and Alice squealed. "Perfect, now go back and change."

Her next few outfits were similar, and I get the feeling Alice told the guys something, because none of them even glanced at my gloves again, even though I wore them with every outfit. Then Alice tried a skirt, a short, above the knee number that flowed freely from the waist and gave an A-line shape. It actually looked pretty good on me, but I wasn't about to step out of the dressing room without something else on to cover my legs. My skin may not be dangerous anymore, but in the years that I had to keep myself covered, I had become extremely modest about my skin, and showing any leg was absolutely mortifying. "Umm, I don't know about this one Alice. It's a little short."

"Oh come on Marie."

"No Alice. It's too short." I started to take it off when the door to my dressing stall was opened. "Alice!" I shrieked, quickly reaching for my jacket to cover my legs. Edward and Jasper were no where to be seen, and Alice was smugly grinning at me. "I sent them away to grab some other things. It looks fabulous Marie!"

"Alice, I don't wear short skirts. End of story."

"But you tried it on!"

"No Alice, forget about it."

She pouted, but stepped back out of the room. There were a few longer skirts that she handed me, which all looked fabulous. Finally, I was starting to get tired, "Just one more Alice, then can we please stop? I'm getting kind of tired. And you haven't even tried anything on yet!"

She tossed a shiny, smooth material over the door, and I grabbed it, holding it up. [What the hell?]. It was a ball gown. A beautiful one, but a formal dress none the less. "Alice why did you just hand me a gown?"

"Because the school dance is in less than 3 weeks and you need a dress."

I opened the door, and was slightly startled to see both Edward and Jasper were back. I turned my attention back to the pixie in front of me, looking at me with an innocent expression. "What made you think I was going to the school dance?"

"Of course you're going, Marie. Why wouldn't you be?"

"I don't dance Alice," I said, hoping she would leave it at that.

"Oh but I can teach you to dance."

I was starting to feel exasperated. "I don't have a date Alice."

"Edward will take you."

I looked up at the brother in question, but he and Jasper had turned away again, and seemed to be oblivious to the conversation, "He doesn't like me, and I don't really like him either. Besides, I. Don't. Dance."

She pouted, "But why not?"

"Religious conviction." I replied. I may have not been a believer since I manifested, but I still knew Southern Baptist version of biblical cannon, and dancing was among the no-nos. Not that that was my real reason – in all honesty, I hadn't a thing against dancing, except that you had to touch other people to do it.

"What?" She sounded honestly confused, and I noticed we had Jasper and Edward's attention back. I sighed, "I was raised Baptist, Alice. We don't do dancing."

Edward challenged me on this, "No where does the bible say that dancing is wrong."

Now I was starting to get pissy. No one knew the bible like me – I was, emphasis on was, an evangelical. "Actually, Edward, Galatians 5:19 through 21 states clearly that actions of debauchery will preclude one from the kingdom of God."

"But dancing isn't listed among the actions condemned."

"Really? You don't think modern dancing could be construed as adultery, fornication, lasciviousness,

or revellings in the flesh? Tell me Edward, what kind of dancing do you think actually goes on nowadays?" I could feel myself getting a little too worked up, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

He looked a little shocked, but then said something I didn't expect. "You are absolutely correct Marie. Forgive me, I didn't mean to insult you or your beliefs."

_Way to go! Scare off the guy you decided to give a chance. He won't even give you a second look now. _(Jubilee)

"Sorry. I just got worked up. I don't..." I struggled for words to get me out of the hole I had worked myself into, "I don't even know if I believe in it all anymore anyway. But not this time Alice. Okay?" I had turned back to the shorter girl, my eyes pleading.

She looked a little out of it for a second, but then her eyes came into focus on me and nodded fiercely, "Great! There's always Winter Ball, or Prom."

I smiled, [Oh yes, Now I just have to figure out a way to be conveniently out of town during those dates.]

"Don't even think about it Marie. You are going." She said it with such finality, I couldn't bring myself to argue. Besides, I had at least a few months to think of a way out of it anyway.

We all piled out of the store, and I stopped at the threshold. Something wasn't right. [Where did all the clothes go?] "Alice, where did all the clothes I tried on go?"

"Oh, I got the boys to put them in the car while I was getting through your last few items." Edward and Jasper both looked innocent, and Alice, a little apprehensive.

"Wait, you paid for all my clothes? Alice that's so not cool."

"Oh come on Marie. Please just think of it as my gift to you for putting up with me."

I pouted, but knowing I couldn't have paid her back for all of them. [I guess I'll have to think of a way to make it up to her. What am I going to do with all those clothes though?] "Alright, but only if you let me make it up too you."

She jumped up and did a very, very happy version of the happy dance. A cool velvet voice whispered in my ear, making me jump, "You really shouldn't have said that. You have no idea what you just signed up for." I turned around to give Edward the 'what-are-you-talking-about' look, but Alice filled in the holes for me quickly. "Make over! I get to play Barbie Marie with you, soon."

I groaned, but grudgingly nodded my head. We went off to the next store, and the experience was much the same. I was a little surprised when Alice turned to me after the third store, a question in her eyes, but not in her voice.

"What is it Alice?"

"Shouldn't you be hungry? I mean, don't you want to get something to eat?" I looked around for a clock, not wanting to pull out my cellphone and risk them noticing, but she filled me in, "It's noon. We should eat."

"I'm not that hungry, but if you guys want to eat go ahead." [The food here is probably grossly under spiced and over priced.]

"You should eat, Marie." Edward was now urging me. I shook my head, "No I'm really fine. You'd be surprised how long I can go hungry. Besides, I doubt they have anything here that would appeal to me."

He gave me a curious look, but decided, thankfully, to let it go. We were now wandering closer to the waterfront – I could smell the salty ocean water coming in from the Sound. A protest of some kind was going on in the small plaza ahead.

_I don't have a good feeling about this Marie._(Logan)

I looked at my companions, "Hey guys, maybe we should go another way. I don't feel like getting caught up in a protest."

The protesters started chanting, and my blood ran cold. "We don't need a cure. We don't need a cure."

I repeated my sentiments, trying to pull Alice away. "Alice, come on. Let's just go."

"But what are they protesting Marie? Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"No, I'm not. I... I don't like crowds."

Edward stepped in, "Why don't we head down to a book shop and meet you guys later, Alice?" I thanked every god in heaven right then for Edward Cullen, and gratefully took his hand and started to speed walk away.

He stopped me once we were far enough away from the crowds that we could only hear a dull roar. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, wiping the sweat off my brow with my gloved hands, and stared back up into his eyes. "Sorry, protests get me worried. And it was really crowded. I really don't like crowds of angry people."

I felt like I was rambling a bit, so I stopped there.

He looked like he was about to say something, but then a voice echoed through my ears that I hadn't heard in quite some time.

"Well if it isn't the little leech that could...."

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_


	12. 12: Shopping part 2

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A/n: My apologies for a few things. First of all, I am really sorry about the delay. Secondly, my school term is coming to a close, which means this might be your last chapter for a week. Sorry! Thirdly, to all of you who kindly reviewed my last chapter - my sincerest gratitude, and to those who I asked for input, I know this chapter comes out of left field. It ended up working out better in the longer run - and I promise to make it up to you.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. Shopping part 2 - more questions, no good answers

[Person's thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_

**EPOV**

Our shopping day had gotten off to a decent start. Surprisingly, the three of us seemed to have no problem being in the confined space with Marie – though I am sure that Jasper having the distraction of driving, and rolling down the windows slightly, helped in that. We laughed, but obliged her when she said we needed seatbelts.

Alice filled the time with silly stories from our collective pasts, and Marie ate them up eagerly, laughing whole heartedly at times and forcing Jasper and I to join in too. I felt freer than I had in a while, and Jasper smirked at me with a knowing look on his face and in his thoughts when he felt my feelings.

_You are falling for her. She actually makes you happier. _(Jasper)

_Oh Edward, I am so happy. I can see you two being so happy together. _(Alice)

_Be careful with her. Even when she's laughing, she's still crying on the inside. _(Jasper)

Every time we would try to ask her a direct question, Marie deftly changed the subject back to us. I was starting to get aggravated, and pointedly looked at Alice. I decided to ask her later why we couldn't be more direct and just ask away.

_Because she would frankly tell us that it is none of our business, and would not continue to hang out with us. I'm trying to find a way to get her to open up Edward, I promise. But blatantly cornering her is not going to work this time. _(Alice)

I sighed, knowing not to doubt my sister. Of course she too would be curious about the human we were all befriending. Our vampire curiosity is practically insatiable.

After Alice regaled Marie with one of the more disgusting pranks between Emmett and me, she finally turned the subject back on Marie. I wasn't surprised when again, she avoided answering the question. However, she offered up some personal information, which shocked us all.

"Sounds like someone needs to knock him off his Guitar Hero pedestal." She had said, with such confidence and clout it was obvious she felt she could do so.

I know we looked at her a little too long for such an innocent statement, but she didn't seem suspicious. "I am the Hero of Hero's. I've never been beat." She continued on, telling us about this boy that she had beaten at the game, while blindfolded. [How can a human do that?] The punishment she gave the boy sounded amusing, but it threw me off. "I never knew you went to boarding school." I stated, though the sentence rolled off my lips as a question.

She immediately stopped laughing and smiling, and then proceeded to strongly object to Jasper's speed. It was outrageously high, considering the speed limit, but not even Marie seemed like she minded it so much, and was disappointed, but grateful, according to what Jasper was picking up, when he slowed down after her objections. I get the feeling she was more grateful about not having to answer my question about her life.

_In due time, Edward._ Alice thought, and I could see her smile in the rearview mirror.

When we approached Seattle from the south, I watched as Marie's eyes lit up. She laughed, and to Alice's question, merely replied that Seattle was too similar to Gotham city. I didn't follow, but Alice was quickly wrapped up in her mention of New York City, bombarding my mind with fashion, clothes, and vanity till I felt slightly queasy. Marie seemed off at the subject.

"Alice, you should change the subject." jasper said too quickly for Marie to hear it. But at that point, Marie had sunk back into her own world. I watched through the mirror as her lips fluttered with words unspoken. We had now arrived in Seattle, and parked, but Marie was ghost-speaking to herself. Alice tried twice to get her attention.

As we approached the first store, I was a little apprehensive. Alice and Jasper darted off, Alice's thoughts practically singing through the different outfits she could picture on Marie. I chuckled lightly to myself, and stalked after Marie. She was in a section of the store that had dozens of accessories – nice gloves, scarves, belts, and jewelry, but her eyes were on the gloves alone. I was fascinated as I watched her pick out a pair and rub the fabric against her cheek, as though to test its softness. [Why not just take off her gloves and touch them?] She baffled me in every way. I heard Alice screaming to me in her thoughts, much too soon for my liking.

_Edward, I'm ready. Bring her to the dressing rooms. This is going to be so much fun!_

Marie was very embarrassed by the attention at first, but she grew more relaxed as she went through more outfits. Alice chastised both Jasper and I for staring at her gloves when she tried on her first outfit. She was wearing the longest gloves I had ever seen in modern times – they encased her elbows and upper arms in brown, suede leather. It was so… odd. But Alice insisted at vampire speed that we leave her be about her oddities – it wouldn't help our cause to isolate her.

Alice asked us to step away for a minute, handing us clothes to pay for and put in the car, and I watched through her mind as Marie's dressing room door opened. Her shapely legs were exposed by a knee-length skirt. Despite regularly seeing more skin than that on my own mother and sisters, on her, the little flesh of her calf and knee sent a wave of pure lust through my cold, hard veins. Her skin was flawless and pale, the curve of her calves was perfectly symmetric and well-toned. Jasper gave me a look, and I tried to reel it in, focusing on any one's mind but Alice's.

"What did she have her try on, lingerie?"

If I could have blushed, I would have. Instead, I settled for glaring at him, "I don't want to talk about it."

When we returned from the car, I heard Marie's voice from across the store. "I'm getting kind of tired. And you haven't even tried anything one yet." Figuring that was my cue to go rescue Marie, Jasper and I walked back over to the dressing rooms, just in time for Marie to be stepping out of the stall with a shimmering fabric draped over her arm and a hard look on her face.

She was vehemently protesting the idea of dancing. Alice tried to convince her it would be okay, that I would take her, and my briefly soaring heart crashed when she replied again that she would not go, and that she didn't like me. Then she said something that caught me off guard. [A religious conviction?] Having been raised Lutheran by my parents, and as a vampire, frequently debating religion with my Anglican-leaning father, I knew the Christian Bible forwards and backwards.

I couldn't help but prove her wrong. "No where does the bible say that dancing is wrong." Apparently, I had said the wrong thing, because her face went from apprehensive to angry in less than a second.

She replied to me in a freakishly calm, cool voice that didn't belong to the expression she was sporting, "Actually, Edward," my name released from her lips like a curse word, "Galatians 5:19 through 21 states clearly that actions of debauchery will preclude one from the kingdom of God."

I couldn't take the hint though, replying "But dancing isn't listed among the actions condemned." My voice sounded weaker to my ears.

"Really?" She paused, mocking a look of disbelief on her face, "You don't think modern dancing could be construed as adultery, fornication, lasciviousness, or reveling in the flesh?" She crossed her arms over her chest and haughtily looked back at me, seething. Her voice was suddenly harder, "Tell me Edward." Again, my name sounded so dirty the way she spoke it, and remorse filled me, "what kind of dancing do you think actually goes on nowadays?" I dared to look at her face, and shivered. Her eyes had changed to the deep, black red from Alice's vision. I immediately knew I had stepped too far, and finally heard Alice's screaming in my head to back off and apologize.

_Edward! Stop now. What are you doing? Apologize damn it, before she blows._ (Alice)

_She's too angry. I can't control her much longer. Edward you have to stop taunting her._ (Jasper)

"You are absolutely correct, Marie. Forgive me, I didn't mean to insult you or your beliefs." I made sure to speak softly and hunch my shoulders, trying to convey regret that I felt wholeheartedly, just not at what I had said. I didn't mean to insult her, sure, but I enjoy religious debates. Carlisle and I have had several over the years that would span days. Obviously, religion was a touchy subject for Marie though. She blinked, and her eyes were immediately the chocolaty brown color I loved. Then, she surprised me.

"Sorry. I just got worked up. I don't…" She seemed to struggle with words for a second, and Jasper's mental voice was one of awe. _Her emotions flipped faster than anything I have ever been around. And she really is sorry, and ashamed? Oh no, here comes the guilt again._ "I don't even know if I believe in it anymore anyway. " She turned back to Alice, pleading with her eyes, "But not this time, Alice. Okay?"

I watched through Alice's mind.

'_Marie in a stunning green dress, with long yellow gloves and her hair beautifully done up, came to mind. A banner in the background reads 'Winter Wonderland Festival''_

"Great! There's always Winter Ball, or Prom." Alice's vision wavered after saying that, and she quickly put her foot down. "Don't even think about it Marie. You are going." Marie looked a little shocked, but I watched a smile creep across her face.

We continued to a few more stores, and a thought flitted through Alice's mind.

_Don't humans eat in the middle of the day?_

I was shocked we hadn't realized that Marie would be hungry, sure that by now she must be starved. But when Alice questioned her about it, she didn't act hungry at all. Her words spooked me again, "You'd be surprised how long I can go hungry." [What kind of a person says that? How long she can go hungry? When has she ever had to go hungry?] My list of questions to ask her when Alice finally gave the okay to be frank kept growing.

I could hear the shouting from the store when we left, though her human ears wouldn't have been able to pick up anything from such a distance. Marie was oddly nervous about the protest, and asked if we could go another way. Unfortunately, Alice wanted to go to one of the stores that was right in the center. However, as we approached the crowd, intent as Alice was on getting to a store on the other side of the Westlake Plaza, Marie stopped, dead on her feet. "Alice, come on. Let's just go." She pulled on Alice's arm to try to dissuade her, but Alice was much too strong for Marie to have any affect.

_Isn't she even interested about what they are protesting? She can't be that politically ignorant – protests are important to our government._ (Alice)

"But what are they protesting Marie? Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"No I'm not. I…" She paused, thinking of an answer, and Alice saw that there was no way she would convince Marie to navigate the crowd. _Edward, go on ahead and take her back to the Elliot Bay bookstore. I can see her relaxing once you guys get there._ "I don't like crowds."

"Why don't we head down to a book shop and meet you guys later, Alice?" Alice and Jasper quickly went ahead, but Marie and I stayed back and wandered back towards Pioneer Square. I reveled in the feel of her gloved hand in mind, her heat seeping through the material. Once we were far enough away, my curiosity got the best of me, "Are you okay?" I asked, watching her eyes carefully for any sign that I was upsetting her.

She removed her hand from mine, and wiped her face, stalling for a second. Her response rambled and rang with half-truths, "Sorry. Protests get me worried. And it was really crowded. I really don't like crowds of angry people."

She stopped herself, but before I could question her, the most god-awful stench filled my nose. I had to be mistaken. They never leave the reservation, and they certainly never travel this far. But his thoughts and voice all confirmed my suspicions, and I was furious. [This is our territory; what the hell is that dog doing here?]

"Why if it isn't the little leech that could…" his voice trailed off as he realized my companion was not a vampire, and thus he couldn't taunt me a loud without breaking the treaty. _You know when you bite this one, I'll hunt you down and enjoy ripping your body to shreds. I may leave it that way for weeks before I do you the grace of burning your rotting corpse. You disgusting creature..._

His rant was cut off mid-stride as Marie leapt into his arms, "Sammie! Oh my God, I didn't think I'd see you again." She, seemingly oblivious to the tension between myself and the werewolf, slide down his body, still hugging him fiercely. He looked stunned for a second, and then shock reflected on his face and in his thoughts. _Rie-Rie?_

I couldn't contain the growl that bubbled up in my throat at seeing my potential mate in the arms of a werewolf, and Sam smirked at me when he heard it. _Is the bloodsucker worried about loosing his meal? Hurt her, and I'll never burn you. I'll let you suffer all eternity in pieces._ The sincerity in his mental voice rang loudly in my head.

Marie seemed to snap out of her happy and oblivious state, and immediately let go of him, stepping back to take him in. I watched her eyes rake up and down his frame, but was surprised when she did the same thing to me. I squirmed under her calculating stare.

"Sam, you're enemies with one of my only friends? Really? Come on, give me a break. Sure, Edward's weird, but so am I. And so are you. You are burning up! Look at you! Have you been taking growth hormones or something? Jesus, you have to be at least 6 foot 5. And the leech thing, how did you… oh never mind. I don't even want to know. " She rambled all of this off a mile a minute, and Sam looked just as shocked as I was, though his thoughts differed from mine.

_Gloves? Since when does Rie-rie where gloves? And why does she smell like poison? Did he do that to her? Crap she is too observant, what is a good excuse for my size, genes? Hah, she'd see right through that. Perceptive little firecracker. _

I, on the other hand, was wondering about her quick dismissal of his taunt. [I wonder what she really thinks of it. Does she realize what he meant? How could she tell we were enemies so quickly?]

She noticed that neither of us were paying attention to her and stopped rambling. She crossed her arms over her chest and sank back on her back foot, glaring up at the werewolf in front of me, "Talk."

He shook his head, looking at me, then at her, then back at me, "Now isn't the time."

"No Sam, now is the perfect time. Anything you have to say about one another shouldn't be said behind each other's backs."

I decided to let him off the hook, knowing he wouldn't be able to engineer a good enough lie on the spot. "Our families had a big property dispute when we moved into town. We bought acreage that was originally reservation property, and the entire tribe had a fit over it." I looked at Sam as I said this, pleading for him to let this be the lie between us. Marie's eyes were warily shifting between the two of us, trying to catch if we were hiding anything.

"Yeah, that's the nice way of putting it. Money grubbing leeches, all of you."

Marie held her hand up then, her tone defeated but firm, "Whatever, boys. You don't have to tell me. But Sam, don't even try to lie to me. You never could, and you never will."

The werewolf turned towards Marie, head hung in shame, but his mind told a different story. He was replaying memories so quickly I couldn't understand them all as they flashed through my mind.

"Where have you been Marie? You should come to La Push sometime soon. You owe me as much. I've thought you were dead now for 3 years Marie."

Her face shifted to one of compassion, though I'm sure mine was complete confusion. [Why did he think she was dead?] "Oh Sam, I'm so sorry. I know, I owe you a big one too. We'll talk. I promise. How about next weekend?" Her eyes had watered up slightly, and I felt angry that he had made her cry. But I couldn't retaliate, as I watched his memories in his mind as he relived when he thought she had disappeared.

' "_Sam, we need to talk." I nod my head to my mom, not sure what's going on. "Sam, honey, sit down" she starts crying, and I immediately go to comfort her. "She's gone. I'm so sorry honey, but thy think Marie died in the house fire too. They've called off the search." I stare at my mom in disbelief. She's wrong. She has to be wrong. I run outside and into the woods, shaking out of control.'_

He nodded his head in agreement. They hugged again, and I suppressed my growl fairly well. As he took off, his mind rang out to me. _Leave her alone, if you value your existence in the slightest. _

I shook it off and continued escorting Marie towards the bookstore. She seemed off in her own mental world again, and I didn't bother trying to bring her out of it. I needed some time myself to think. I started sorting through the memories Sam had had, and I realized that Marie was more than a childhood friend to him. He had known her since they were nearly infants – apparently their mothers, or at least Marie's adopted mother, were sisters and Marie spent summers here as a child. His memories showed a happy child-like Marie, whose eyes were light and cheerful, not haunted and ancient like she now had.

His memory of her parents death was odd; we knew the tribe had had an active werewolf for at least 2 years now. I searched through my own memories of conversations with her and realized that she had never said it precisely, but implied that she moved here because they had died. Obviously that couldn't be the case.

Too quickly, we were at the bookstore and Marie's eyes finally unclouded, going wide with wonder and awe. "It's beautiful Edward." She inhaled deeply, and I mimicked her action. Elliot Bay always smelled strongly of the wood that the store was covered with – wood bookshelves, wood paneling, wood flooring, and of course, the wood-derived paper in the books. The scent soothed my senses.

Marie started by wandering around the first floor, taking in the layout and the shelves upon shelves of books. I watched her eagerly, deciding to put off questioning her and to instead let her enjoy this moment of peace. And at peace she truly was – her eyes twinkled as she purveyed the books, running her gloved hands over the book spines and breathing deeply and slowly, as though she was savoring every breath.

She went up the stair case in the middle of the store and I followed silently a few minutes later, only to find her nose deep in a book about traveling through Canada. I could make out her murmurs this time, "That's total crap. Laughlin City is just a glorified trailer park, not freakin' destination worthy. And Baffin Island was originally held by the Brits. At least until well past Reconstruction in the states."

I stepped forward and knelt down to where she was sitting, cross-legged, on the floor. She looked up, her eyes lighter and almost hazel, startled. "Oh Edward, I'm so sorry. I abandoned you!" She looked embarrassed, and quickly stood up. Her eyes returned to deep brown.

"No problem Marie. How are you liking your book?"

"Oh this one's crap, but I was looking for the fiction section?"

"It's back downstairs – they have a really old section in the basement. Follow me." I led her back outside and down the stairs next to the building. She looked a little confused, and I smiled at her, "Downtown Seattle was originally about 20 feet lower than where the streets currently are. After the big fire, they raised they streets to correct for sewage issues, but the city had waited too long to rebuild, and many existing and rebuilt buildings had their entrances at the original ground level. The city only raised the streets, leaving the sidewalks down below. It caused quite an issue – some people died falling off the street. Eventually, all buildings corrected for the new height, but there is an 'Underground Seattle' consisting of a few tunnels beneath the roads, and lower entrances like this one, all over. There's a tour group, if you're interested."

"Oh no thank you. Fascinating though. How'd you know all that?"

"Alice wanted to go one time that we all came – it was interesting, but disgusting down there. The mold alone is frighteningly potent."

We were back inside now, and she floated by the shelves, pulling a book here and there. We went back upstairs, and eventually she had settled on 3 books. One was 'Wuthering Heights', a very old copy from the basement section, but I couldn't read the other two as she had turned their spines towards her chest and quickly deposited them in her bag as she paid.

She turned to me as we walked out, "You didn't want anything?"

"No, I have plenty at home."

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you wait while I shopped – that was terribly rude of me."

"Don't be bothered, Marie. It was my pleasure. You are quite fun to watch."

She ducked her head, thanking me softly, and changed the subject, "So, you and Sammie, huh?"

I steeled my expression. "I can't disclose anymore than he has already – I am sorry, but it really isn't my place to do so."

"Is this going to be a problem? I mean, he's like a brother to me."

"Speaking of which," I was glad to be able to change the subject, and at least get my questions out in the open, "Dead for 3 years? Why would he think you were dead?"

She sighed, and the haunted look that had left her eyes in the bookstore was back. I cursed myself for being the cause of its return. "I really don't want to talk about it, Edward. Maybe, eventually, but if anything, he has a right to know first. Let me try to tell him, and then I'll tell you?"

I was happy that she was at least willing to try to open up with me, so I nodded and we continued walking. We weren't exactly aiming for anywhere in particular, but as we passed by a small grocery near the bars, Marie quickly excused herself. "Sorry, I gotta grab something. Wait here for me, okay?"

I nodded, giving her a confused look, and watched through the clerk's mind as she went in. When she came up to the counter a few minutes later, she had a few boxes of organic hair dye, and she selected a Zippo lighter from his display. _Lucky Strikes.. Lucky Strikes. Ahh there they are. _[What the hell? She smokes? She can't be old enough to buy cigarettes.]

I was furious as he didn't even check her ID and tucked a carton of 'Lucky Strikes' into a paper bag, and she paid in cash. I tried hard to reel in my anger – I wouldn't know what she had purchased if I wasn't able to read minds, even though I could now smell the tobacco's stench wafting from her paper bag, that too, was my vampire senses. "Thanks for waiting."

"What did you get?" I tried not to seem to eager, or suspicious.

Her smile faltered slightly, "Oh just some things I can't get in Forks, not for a reasonable price anyway." She motioned ahead of us, and in a teasing tone continued, "Where to, O tour guide extraordinaire?"

I tried to come up with a reasonable way to get her to confess her purchase, but came up empty and decided it was time to meet back up with Alice anyway. It was now nearly 3 pm, and if she was serious about wanting to head to Bellvue, we needed to get going. My mind was still reeling with confusion, and I was about to burst. [How old is she? When did her parents die? Why is she hiding all this, instead of being up front?] The more I got to know her, the more I realized I knew nothing about this poor creature unfortunate enough to have stolen my heart.


	13. 13: Shopping trip ends

A/n: The good news – I've written the end of the story. The bad news – this isn't it, and there is a lot that needs to happen between now and then. I haven't yet gotten a beta for this story – if anyone out there is willing, please contact me. I don't know how to use the 'beta' system on FFN, but I do know how to use google documents or good old emailing.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. The shopping trip ends

[Person's thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

_+_+_+_+_+_+

R- POV

I turned around to where the voice was coming from, and before me stood my childhood best friend – Sam. Call it an automatic reaction – I didn't even think about it - I ran and jumped straight into his arms. He felt so good, like safety and home and... hot, like he was burning up. I slide back down him and realized another big difference. He was bigger than before, both in muscles and in height, towering over me at well above 6 feet. I looked him up and down.

[He looks more like 25 instead of the 18 years he should be. And his face is too hard, fierce.] He was glaring at me, [No, at someone behind me. Oh shit, Edward. I totally forgot about him.] I gave Edward the same treatment, and realized that his stance was tense and nearly predatory – much like the one Sabertooth had taken when he fought Logan. _They look like two ferals fighting over a mate_. I sighed loudly, agreeing with Erik but not sharing his amusement. It caused both men, no, really boys, to break their concentration and look at me.

"Sam, you're enemies with one of my only friends? Really?" I shook my head while saying it struck me - I hadn't seen this man in years, and he was like my best friend! "Come on, give me a break. Sure, Edward's weird, but so am I. And so are you. You are burning up! Look at you! Have you been taking growth hormones or something? Jesus, you have to be at least 6 foot 5. And the leech thing, how did you… oh never mind. I don't even want to know... " I stopped speaking, realizing that the boys had returned their attentions to each other, and I was rambling besides. If looks could kill, or either of them had Cyclops' power, I was sure blood would have been shed already.

I cleared my throat loudly. [I don't know Edward that well, but Sammie never could resist me.] "Talk" I barked at him, crossing my arms over my chest and narrowing my eyes. His eyes shifted back and forth between Edward and myself, before he mumbled quickly, "Now's not the time."

Ok, now I was pissed. [Seriously Sam, you're are better than this.] "No Sam, now is the perfect time." I gave him a disappointed look. "Anything you have to say about one another shouldn't be said behind each others' backs."

Unexpectedly, Edward's voice washed over my ears. "Our families had a big property dispute when we moved into town. We bought acreage that was originally reservation property, and the entire tribe had a fit over it." he said this smoothly and calmly, and I couldn't pick up whether or not he was lying. I just didn't know him well enough.

Instead, I looked back at Sam. "Yeah, that's the nice way of putting it. Money grubbing leeches, all of you." I sighed, lifting my hands in defeat. Obviously Sam was willing to back up this bullshit story. His eyes betrayed the falseness of their statement, but I knew that if Sam was willing to lie to me, I wouldn't get the real answer any time soon. [Is this what has happened to our friendship? What have I done?] "Whatever, boys. You don't have to tell me. But Sam, don't even try to lie to me. You never could, and you never will."

Sam turned his attention back to me, seemingly now ignoring the god of a man next to me, or sworn enemy, as I am sure he was in Sam's eyes. He searched my face for a minute before letting me know his thoughts. "Where have you been Marie? You should come to La Push sometime soon. You owe me as much. I've thought you were dead now for 3 years Marie."

I gasped; my Sam was in so much pain. His eyes were tearful, as I am sure mine were too now, and his face was contorted and scrunched between the eyebrows.

Sam had been a dear friend of mine – all my summers were spent here in Forks where my mom's family was from. My mom didn't have a job – she was an at-home mom, and proud of it. It allowed her to stay away the whole summer; my dad could only visit for a few weeks. When they had... passed away, I knew everyone thought I was dead. In fact, legally, Anna Marie D'Acanto still was, though I had a fake ID with her name and a newer picture in it, courtesy of one Mr. Jenks. At the time, I figured it was for the best; I would have preferred them assume I was dead then be disowned and shamed, cast out for what I couldn't control.

But now, I had to face what I had done. It was easier to imagine my betrayal of Sam in abstract, than in person. I honestly hadn't even considered talking to him since I'd returned – naively assuming that he would have forgotten me. The guilt of abandoning my best friend without a word and causing him suffering worked its way through my veins, and my voice broke as I spoke, "Oh Sam, I'm so sorry. I know, I owe you a big one too. We'll talk. I promise. How about next weekend?" And I meant it too damn it. If anyone deserved an explanation as to how I disappeared for 3 years only to return seemingly whole and well, it was Sam; he meant too much to me, at one point in time anyway. He agreed quietly and left Edward and I without much further adieu.

_Marie, Ah feel a little betrayed. _(Cody)

I started at that thought – it wasn't often that the humans psyche's I'd absorbed would speak up – in fact, they rarely did at all. I always thought that it was odd, especially since they were usually the ones who... passed away as a result of my touch, but the professor had said that the mutants I had were probably louder and made a stronger presence because my mutation knew to value them over non-mutants. [Why is that Cody?]

_You hugged him. _ (Cody)

_Oh get over it human. She was with Bobby for 2 years! Were you always this annoying?_ (John)

_Yeah But..._ (Cody's voice, fading)

_I was her boyfriend, at the time, but still, it's just a hug, right?_ (Bobby)

_Are you ever going to get over your jealousy, Popsicle? _(Logan)

[Come on guys, can it! This isn't that important. I don't think Sam would ever be interested in me that way – I mean, this is the guy I can remember eating bug and mud pies with when we were 7.]

We got to the bookstore quickly enough; Edward left me alone during our walk. I inhaled deeply, taking in the woodsy scent of the bookstore. The scent appealed to more than just me. Erik, a few of my accidentals, John, and Logan, believe it or not, were all fond of the sappy and worn smell. [I'll have to come back here often.]

I found myself up the stairs in the middle of the store some time later, debating with Logan over the merits of a Canadian Tour guide book. [Whoever wrote this crap has obviously never been to the real Canada.

_You wouldn't be so sore against it if you'd have raveled in the heat of the summer_(Logan)

[Yeah, and that's only, what, one months? A few weeks?] I laughed to myself.

_Got company_ (Logan)

I was a little surprised to see Edward leaning down in front of me. [I hope he didn't hear me – was I speaking out loud?] He didn't look too suspicious, so I figured I was safe.

I ended up finding three books worth buying: a new copy of _Wuthering Heights_, because mine was falling apart from too many miles, literally, a book by A. Huxley that Erik and Logan promised me was good, and John claimed he always wanted to read, called, _Brave New World_ and a book on Schizophrenia and Multiple personality disorders.

I had debated my third choice vehemently with my other personalities, most of whom thought that I was being ridiculous, but if I was honest with myself, as a human, I was no longer mentally normal. And hearing Cody's voice today confirmed it – I was getting less stable. I hadn't had my mental shields and constructs properly maintained since Xavier died, and I was beginning to notice little things were off. I can't remember which color is my personality's favorite, and a section of the mansion in my mind has begun to fade away – blurry at the edges when I walk through it. Little things, but I didn't want it to get any worse.

On top of that, my nightmares, which were always intense, had gotten worse, which I chalk up to he cure dampening my walls' protection. It was risk I had known might happen, and honestly it wasn't as bad as I had thought; of course, it wasn't what I had hoped for either, which was for them, the personalities, memories, urges, and fears, to be gone. Even without my curse, some of my personality's were still downright dangerous. Hopefully, the book would have something in it for assistance controlling the souls I'd stolen.

I realized I'd checked out while was mentally checked out, and turned back to Edward. He surprised me when he asked me about Sam's comment. I hadn't fully realized that Uncle Charlie didn't let the rest of the family know that I as okay, when I had called him so long ago. I realized I would be betraying Sam by telling his enemy before him, even though I thought they were being foolish. Whatever this fight between them really was, it couldn't be that bad; I mean, it wasn't like they were mortal enemies or anything... I told Edward that I couldn't tell him yet, and he thankfully seemed to understand. [How can Sam hate him so much? Edward seems like an okay guy, once you get past the occasional scary looks and standoff-ishness.]

On our way out the store, I spotted a small grocery. [I guess now's the best time to take care of none fashion-ista purchases.] I asked Edward to wait for me outside and went in. I have had to dye my white streak – it too a lingering scar of my genetic defect - and was grateful when the store had the brand I'd been using, it's all natural formula resulting in a nearly scentless dye job. I automatically grabbed John and Logan's favorite brand of cigarettes, toasted to perfection Lucky Strikes. Logan had smoked them back in World War 2 when on the front lines, and they were the only brand he would tolerate. John had always insisted that they were the closest to his favorite Australian brand he could find.

Edward seemed put out when I returned, eying the bag that held my purchases carefully, but I didn't feel like fessing up to my addiction yet, especially to some snobby Northerner. He wouldn't understand, and even though it was perfectly legal for me to smoke, he'd probably try to badger me into quitting. I didn't want to see rejection in his eyes just yet.

Alice and Jasper reappeared before us. Something tickled in the back of my mind, and I carefully examined the two of them. Alice was wearing a cute, knee length skirt with leggings and a sweater, and Jasper a gray button down shirt, with black slacks. He looked... familiar. I shook my head, and turned to address Alice, "Where to?"

"I think we're going to call it a day for today. If we head back now, we'll catch a little traffic but should be back by 5. Did you still want to redecorate your room today?"

I was a little stunned – the shopaholic pixie was giving up on shopping? [Wait, help me decorate my room...] I raised one of my eyebrows, looking at Edward with the question in my eyes. He shrugged his shoulders, "Can't keep secrets around Alice."

I sighed, apparently he wouldn't be fessing up to meddling, "Alright, that's fine. Let's go. But I'm warning you now, Alice, my room is **my** room. You're gonna be sorely disappointed in my tastes."

We piled into the car, my most recent purchases in my hands – though I am sure the other purchases were hidden in the trunk. The ride home was fairly uneventful, for which I was grateful. I was feeling kind of tired after a day full of shopping, and I slipped off to sleep.

_+_+_+__Dreaming_+_+_+_+_

_I stare across the field at the man who was leading the Confederate army. I could see his blond locks in the breeze; his gray uniform plain excepting the embellishments that clearly showed his rank – Major. Major Whitlock's command was brutal to fight against. There was a saying... "May you never come across one of Whitlock's men, in battle they fight like a bull in a pen." His soldiers were known to enter battle like women been wronged – they fought viciously and with vengeance. But I was stronger, and better. _

_I tore through bodies, the tickling feeling of bullets penetrating my flesh slowly fading as fewer and fewer men stood before me able to fire. Finally, the Confederate army before us called a retreat. I glared up at the Major, and his youth shone through in his shame. He couldn't have been more than 20. He covered his face quickly and withdrew from the field. _

"_This ain't over yet, bub. Not by a long shot." I turned to my brother, Victor, and we retreated from the field. Victor kept shaking my shoulder..._and I tumbled out of Logan's dreams, but unfortunately for me, into someone else's.

_I'm walking down the street, searching for my next...treat. I hear a whimpering in the alleyway, and pursue the sound. A boy, no older than 10, is lying huddled in nicer dress clothes behind a dumpster. I'm smiling as I approach him. The ground is shaking beneath us, but I keep advancing on him. "Are you lost, little one?" He sees me, his face scrunched up in confusion for a second, before he inhales deeply to scream. I quickly clamp my hand down over his mouth, "Not yet, sweetie, let's not ruin the surprise." The ground shakes harder beneath us... _and suddenly I'm falling through the ground, through my mind, and into consciousness.

_+_+_+_End Dreaming_+_+_+_+_

My eyes shot open and I was instantly aware of two cold, strong hands on my shoulders and the scratchy, prickly feeling of tears on my cheeks. "You can let go of me now, Alice. I'm awake." My voice was scratchy and soft, but she let go immediately. I wiped my face quickly, rubbing my cheeks to make them a uniform red instead the red-streaked I knew they probably were right now, and then noticed we were stopped.

Jasper and Edward weren't in the car. I could see them walking around outside – we had pulled off the side of the road in a relatively unpopulated area, with woods surrounding us. I stared at Jasper; he was a spitting image of the Major in Logan's dreamed memory. Alice was turned towards me in he back seat, her golden eyes boring into mine, filled with questions. I decided to try to head off the barrage. "Sorry about the fuss. You didn't have to stop."

"Do you want to talk about it?" her bell-like voice held a heavy dose of concern, which was unnecessary. Just another dose of involuntary event recall. I'm already forgetting them as best I can.

"No." My answer was quick and short, and my voice was returning.

"What was it about?"

Her prying started to grate my nerves, and I lashed out, calmly, "I said I don't want to talk about it Alice. I don't even remember. Can we go?"

As if on cue, though I know they couldn't have heard me, both boys re-entered the car. Neither said a word to me, though they both had a softness about their eyes that showed their concern, but I didn't care. There wasn't anything to say.

The ride home reached staggeringly high speeds, and while I was the only one buckled up, I didn't bother saying anything. I was too distracted, and honestly, I doubted that another Victor Creed as going to be throwing logs into the car to capture a non-mutant.

Jasper looked exactly like Major Whitlock. I could blow it off as a mere relation, maybe a descendant, except that my gut was telling me not too, that this look alike was more than just coincidence. But how could that be possible? Even Logan had aged some since the turn of the century. Of course, Logan's appearance could have aged more as a result of the adamantium skeleton – I can imagine that constantly fighting heavy metal poisoning would decrease his factor's ability to combat aging.

His siblings gave no indication of Jasper being different from them, did they? When Jasper was around, they were more relaxed, practically the opposite of most of the students around the mansion when around Logan, except me. But hell, even I felt more calm around Jasper. Could he also be an empath? Alice looked at me funny, actually, all of them looked at me funny, [Crap did I say something?]. I made an overly obvious shrugging gesture, "Sorry. I realized I forget to get something at the store." None of them believed me - they didn't ask about what I forgot. They left me alone though, So I guess I didn't say anything too revealing.

I knew I felt more at ease around him than his other siblings, but was it because he was a feral, or because he was an empath. [I've only run into one other empath before – the thievin' swamp rat that helped me navigate New Orleans when I was on the road.] His effect had always been very strong, not the subtle suggestion that Jasper's was. Or maybe Jasper was **trying** to be subtle. _Or maybe you're freaking crazy and reading more into the situation than is there._

[Thanks for then support John.]

_You aren't crazy. Something about this family as a whole doesn't sit right with me. _(Logan)

_Yeah, but they don't seem like they mean me any harm. _(Jubilee)

That didn't answer the question of his longevity. He didn't seem like a feral – he was mild mannered. Course, his eyes did change colors like Logan's or Sabertooth's did when their mutant side overwhelmed them. His eyes were still a deep black, starkly contrasting their earlier topaz shade, kind of like Edward's had done throughout the day...[Assuming that it's actually him. It could be someone else.]

_It's him. It has to _be. (Logan)

_Not necessarily. It could be a descendant. Or a clone._ (Erik)

[Oh like that's realistic. Who would have the desire, much less the technology, to clone an old Confederate soldier?]

_Why would did he choose this family to be with? Logan and Sabertooth are loath to stay anywhere for an extended period of time. _I realized Erik's scheming thoughts were influencing mine, but let him continue anyway.

_What ties does he have to the family? He loves the girl – the pixie like one. What about his brothers, his parents, or at least, parent-like figures? Does he feel the same affection towards them? _(Erik)

I dejectedly realized Alice had obviously done what I couldn't do – tie a wandering feral down.

_Marie, you don't love me like she loves him. She is obviously in love with him. You and I, we're like family. I will always be there for you..._ (Logan)

[No Logan, you won't. You've proven that. Remember?] I was upset with him, and it only added to my growing depression. I felt a wave of calm wash over me, and it clicked. [He is empathic!] I was giddy excited suddenly, and Jasper's eyes found mine in the rear view mirror. I gave him a raised eyebrow and a smirk, but didn't say anything. His family probably didn't know, and I wasn't about to out a mutant that didn't want to be outed. It wasn't my place. But I felt better, knowing that I wasn't alone in Forks anymore.


	14. 14: Building a Wall

A/n:Woo hoo. many thanks to those who offered. I now have a a beta - mia1601. Many thanks to her for helping me polish this chapter!

On another note, I am still dragging. I struggle a lot with where to be detailed and where not to be. Reviews, even flames, are encouragement to continue!

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. The shopping trip ends

[Person's thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

_+_+_+_+_+_+

E-POV

We stopped at Marie's house, Alice secretly distracting her while Jasper and I ran at Vampire speed up to her room to deposit her new clothes. "So Marie, have you picked a color for your room yet? OOo can I help you paint?" Alice had ripped all the tags off so that Marie wouldn't be able to return them even if she could figure out which store they had come from. Alice hadn't gone overboard – much. There were only 15 bags of clothing.

I didn't want to see what all she had gotten her, but one of the bags had the gown that Marie threw a fit about in it. I hung that one up for her and tucked it into the back of her closet, where hopefully she wouldn't see it for a while.

The stench of tobacco perfuming out of her bag was overwhelming in the car. Jasper and Alice both gave me a look when they walked up to us and could smell it, but all I could do in turn was shrug my shoulders. I didn't know she was a smoker, and I guess Alice hadn't seen that either.

Marie's sleeping in the car got to all of us a little bit. Jasper had kept driving initially, and we were just going to let her sleep on the way home. Besides, she had seemed a little off since running into the dog. Alice had been so frightened when she found us because our futures had disappeared when he ran into us.

I was still confused by their interactions, but Alice and Jasper reaffirmed that pushing her wasn't going to get the information we needed at this point. That she knew the dog as a child was a good jumping point, as was the improved time line. We now know for certain that her parents or foster parents anyway, had died 3 years ago.

But back to her sleeping. She was fine for a few minutes, but she started mumbling. Something about men, and war. When she murmured "Whitlock," the car swerved. I told him to pull us over. Her dream kept going – Jasper was picking up excitement, and resentment. "Ain't over... bub."

Alice tried to shake her out of it and get her to wake up, but it didn't work the way she wanted. Her emotions shifted to something predatory. _**Lust, scheming, disgust, horror, excitement, fear. **_Jasper read off her emotions to me, but they didn't seem to match her murmurs, as in a sweet, kind voice, she whispered, "Lost, sweetie?"

The horror and fear increased, and Jasper had to jump out of the car. I quickly followed as the fear pumped through her veins, and its smell started to set off the predator in me. Finally, Jasper shot her with bubbly excitement, and combined with Alice's shaking, she woke. We could see the tears that had been streaming down her face, and both turned away to give Marie the illusion of privacy as she calmed down.

_**Fear, disgust, self-loathing... guilt.** _Jasper's mental voice held an air of clinical detachment as he dissected her current state. It had been getting easier for him since her first day to distinguish between the junk emotions, and what were Marie's true emotions. She was a difficult read, according to Jasper's mind, with lots of background noise in her emotions. I envied his control, wanting to be able to do the same thing with her thoughts.

_**Curiosity. O shit Edward this could be bad**. _Alice asked Marie about her dream. _**Annoyance.** _

The pixie pestered her again, _**Anger**._ "Alice stop." I said out loud, though too quickly for Marie to distinguish it as any more than a whistling breeze.

When we piled back into the car, Marie didn't look at either of us. The silence felt stifling, so I turned the radio on low volume. Marie probably couldn't even hear it, but she was lost in her own thoughts again anyway.

Jasper and I down the stairs at a human pace, after finishing with our clothes-depositing chore. The house her uncle owned was small, but quaint. It was very typical for Forks, being such a small community. [But what about that card in her wallet? If it was from Charlie, he wouldn't be living in a place like this.]

_**Thank you for putting away the gown Edward.** She would have flipped out when she saw it._ Alice silently thanked me, interrupting my thoughts. I nodded my head slightly towards her. Realizing Marie didn't register my presence, I decided to leave the investigation to later and sneaked behind her and bent down to whisper in her ear, "I'd love to help you out, Marie." She jumped away from me.

_**That terrified her for a second Edward. But if lust was what you were goin' for, you got that too.** What a strange combination._

She blushed and looked down at the floor. Her earlier anger seemed to have faded away. "Umm, y'all are welcome te come with meh te the store, but ah'm not gettin' much." her nerves shone through her accent, which had me all the more addicted. If a vampire's voice is bell-like, then hers is like sweet honey and velvet.

"Let's go then!"

"Alright, but who've gotta drive. Ah wouldn' want to muss up your car with supplies." We all nodded, and I heard Charlie's car drive up. _Whose car is that? Did Marie invite someone over? I hope it isn't some boy._ Charlie's thoughts filtered in through the door, and Alice quickly whispered to Jasper and I to stand in the living room while she went to the kitchen to greet Charlie with Marie.

She grabbed Marie's hand and dragged her away, "Oh I can't wait to meet your uncle, Marie!"

An older man that I recognized as the police chief walked in through the front door. He faltered as he considered hanging up his gun belt, but shook his head. _She's an adult now. Besides, I know her mamma raised her right. _

Marie took initiative and greeted him softly,"Hi Uncle Charlie."

"Hi chief Soileau! I'm Alice Cullen." I watched through Alice's eyes as she reached out and shook the older man's hand briefly, and dazzled him with her eyes. His thoughts went completely silent while he was under her spell.

Marie gave Alice a look, and coughed to get back Charlie's attention. "We just got back from shopping, and I was going to go to the hardware store to get some stuff to redo my room."

He shook his head lightly, pulling himself from Alice's daze, and looked hard at Marie. _What did she just say? Oh right. Hardware store. Redo her room. I bet she would – that room hasn't been changed since Renee was here._

He nodded as he spoke, "That's fine. Here, take some cash to cover the cost." he pulled out his wallet, and Marie briefly touched his arm, shaking her head, "That's not necessary Uncle Charlie. I got it." _**Heart ache, loneliness.**_Jasper's voice informed me of Marie's emotional response.

Alice discretely sneaked out of the hallway, into the living room. She quickly and quietly told us to leave out of the back door. We nodded and stepped out, closing the door without a sound behind us. I kept watching the scene through Charlie's eyes, unable to halt my curiosity and give them privacy. I could tell Jasper was monitoring their emotions, also intrigued. We could clearly hear everything being said anyway.

He shook his head at her, going on with task of taking out his wallet. _I've been meaning to pay her back anyway. _He handed her a good bit, "I've been wanting to pay you back for your ticket here anyway Marie. You're family, and don't you forget it. Besides, it's my house. I figure I get a free decorator out of the deal."

He smiled at her, trying to be in jest, but I could see the tears brimming in her eyes through his. _**Acceptance. Shame. Love. Longing. **_She cautiously reached over and hugged him, pressing the side of her face into his chest. "Thank ya, Uncle Charlie."

He was clearly shocked by the gesture, _She hasn't hugged me since she was a little kid_, _**He's wary. Anxious. Relieved. Sad, **_but brought his hands up to gently rub her back. "Anytime Anna."

Marie pulled out his grasp and seemed to have composed herself, but I could tell the smile was just a little too bright. _**She's still lonely. Sad. **_Charlie didn't see this. "Well, we'd better get going then. Don't want the store to close on us." She said quickly, her voice a little horse from emotion.

They quickly joined us in the front yard, and while Marie looked a little surprised to see us, she didn't say anything.

We got to the store slowly, going a painstakingly slow speed. Alice, who was sitting in the passenger side front seat, was having visions along the way that affirmed Marie would not be letting Alice make any decisions when it came to her room design.

' "_Oh Marie, look, we could redo your head board and add a canopy" "No Alice."_

"_Alice, are you trying to make me regret that you came. I appreciate your support, but this is my room, not yours."_

"_Why not pink?" "Because as girly as I may seem to be, pink makes me want to vomit." "Black, Marie? Isn't that a little dark?" "I'm a dark person Alice. I wouldn't expect you to get that, but at least respect it, please?" ' _

Marie was content to wander for a bit. "Sorry, I have a list, but I didn't think about the limited local supplies." Alice decided to help, keeping in mind her failed success at influencing Marie's decisions.

_Stubborn southern woman._ I had to hold in a chuckle at the irony in that statement. From some of the things Alice had said before, we could piece together that she too was from somewhere in the South. She didn't know anything about her human life, but she had a penchant for Country music, and as much as it pains me that I know this kind of intimate information, she speaks with a deep southern drawl when she and Jasper are more...intimate.

Marie had finally assessed the store, and drug out her list. I caught a glimpse of the paper, and across it was scrawled a detailed cross-section of a wall, with intricate cross-beams. It was good for soundproofing, with several small chambers to trap the sound and insulate vibrations. The sketch looked like it was done by hand. [How odd. I guess she copied it off a website or something.]

She furrowed her brow as she looked over her list, and then up at us. "Alright, well, they have most everything I wanted to get, which is good. Do you boys mind getting the heavier stuff while Alice and I grab the lighter things? That way, we can all get outta here quickly." Jasper and I nodded, and she tore the list in half, handing half of it to me. "Meet us up front when you're done; we should finish before you do. And don't you dare pay for any of this on your own." She added, with a hint of malice in her voice at the end.

We did as she instructed. She had asked us to pick up several sheets of drywall, smaller pieces of wood the width of paint stirrers, and cork-board. When we were finished, we dragged our cart back to the front of the store, where Marie was waiting with Alice and a cart that looked like it had a few gallons of paint, mattress foam, sandpaper, and various other items.

Alice smiled at the two of us, very bubbly. "She's letting me redo the bathroom for them!"

I laughed, and we checked out. Marie had more than enough cash for all the supplies, but I noticed when she pulled out her wallet that she had a credit card too. A black one, like we had, except instead of the Cullen crest that adorned our own, hers had a symbol that looked vaguely familiar. I thought about asking her what the symbol stood for, or why she didn't use it to pay for her purchases.

**_Don't Edward. She won't tell you. We'll ask Carlisle tonight. _**(Alice)

We loaded everything into her truck easily, and drove at a horrifyingly slow 50 miles per hour back. The speed limit was 30 on this road, but I knew we could get away with going faster. "So what kind of music do y'all like, anyway?"

"Country and blues." Jasper said.

"Classical." I was honest. It was my favorite.

"Country and pop." Alice said almost laughing. I tried to read her mind, but couldn't.

"Well I have some music at home, but not much. I tend to listen to rock and roll, and some jazz. I can put on YouTube though. Y'all mind, or do you wanna go by your house and grab some CDs of your own?"

"Nah. Let's just go get started on your room." Alice interjected.

We got back to Charlie's house fairly quickly, and when Marie went to grab stuff out of the truck, Alice stopped her. "Let them get it. Why don't you and I go tell Charlie that the boys are here too?"

The girls slipped inside and Jasper and I looked at one another. "We're whipped aren't we?"

"We have to paint at a human pace – it's going to take forever."

"Yeah, but at least Marie grabbed scentless paint."

I could hear Alice and Marie inside, talking to Charlie, who sounded like he was watching a game. "Oh really? That's fine. Leave your door open though – no funny business under my roof, okay?"

"Sure sure, Uncle Charlie. We're painting anyway, so the door will have to open for ventilation regardless."

We 'trudged' as best we could pretend, up the stairs with the materials, and Marie went straight to work. Her half of the shopping list had a detailed diagram of how the soundproofing was to be installed, down to where to nail in the supports and how often. [She could definitely go to college for engineering, if she was into going to college.]

_Wow, she really thought this through. Good planning. _(Jasper)

Marie looked up from her paper, scrutinizing Jasper and I. "Do y'all know how to find studs?"

"Wall studs? Yeah" I verbally confirmed. Alice and Jasper nodded.

"Why don't we each take a wall, and um, here are some pencils. Mark where you think each stud begins and ends. They should be spaced 18 inches apart – cause this is an older house."

"Why are we redoing your walls?"

"We are putting in soundproofing. These walls are super thin, and I tend to have loud dreams."

I left it alone. We each did a wall as her music played over the bad speakers on her computer; she had chosen quite a play list – riddled with country and pop music, though all acoustic or a cappella. There were very few truly classical pieces, but several orchestra pieces; a lot of people don't know the difference between musical periods. I was surprised that I hadn't heard many of them, or at least, not the versions she was playing. It took 3 songs to finish this task, and dare I say the poor speakers almost added to the appeal of the songs – making them sound rustier. "Hey, do y'all want to change into something else before we start on the heavier materials? I'd hate for you to ruin your clothes."

"Don't worry about us, but feel free to change if you want to Marie." Alice replied.

Marie grabbed a ratty long-sleeved shirt from her dresser, and a different pair of gloves, these noticeably more worn and old, from her top drawer. Once it was open, I was astounded by how many pairs of gloves she had. [She must wear gloves like people wear socks.]

She came back from the bathroom and laid out how we were installing the materials for soundproofing. It took nearly 2 hours to get all the soundproofing up and add the drywall. I listened intently while helping complete her plans; she sang along with every song, and her voice was enchanting. On some she changed a few words – at first I thought she had the words wrong, but then she sang one song with totally different words. I vaguely recognized the first few chords – but acoustic it had a more haunting feel. Then Marie sang:

I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all my outdated fears  
And when you had to leave  
I wish that you could just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When I cried you'd wiped away all of my tears  
When I'd scream you'd fight away all of my fears  
And you held my hand through so many years  
But I have stolen  
All of you

I used to captivate you  
By my resonating life  
Now I'm bound to live this the life you've left behind  
Your face it haunts  
My once pleasant dreams  
Your voice it chased away  
All the sanity in me

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though you're still with me  
I've been alone all along

We could all smell the tears she was holding back as she continued painting. _**Sad, guilt, self-loathing, hurt, honesty**. _Jasper's mental voice told me. She seemed outwardly unaware of her emotional distress, but inside, she was reeling.

Other than her quiet singing, we worked in peace. As we hung the last sheet of drywall, Charlie called from below, "Hey kids. I'm ordering pizza. What do you want?"

Marie looked to us, but we shook our heads, "Seem wanted us home for dinner tonight. We can come back afterwards though?"

"Nah, don't bother. I'll finish it up on my own. Thank y'all so much for helping me though. I have to make it up to you."

"But we were going to do the bathroom together!" Alice whined. Marie briefly looked exasperated, but hid it quickly. "Well, I can put off the bathroom until tomorrow. You want to come back over then?"

Alice considered hugging Marie, but thought better of it and did her 'happy dance' instead. "Awesome Marie! Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me Alice. Y'all've just helped me completely redo my bedroom walls."

"Wait, you aren't going to paint and then sleep in here, are you?"

She looked at me with a 'duh' expression on her face. "Yes Edward. I purposefully purchased volatile-free paint so that I could do exactly that."

"But that's still not safe – it may be nearly fumed free, but you shouldn't sleep closed up in here all night. Just the wood glue we've used today would be dangerous." I pleaded with her.

She looked resigned, "Fine. I'll sleep on the couch."

_**Dishonesty**. _ Jasper quietly added. I stared her down, but shook my head.

We left, saying goodbye to Charlie as we departed.

-=-=-=-=-


	15. 15: An Awkward conversation

A/n: Many apologies for the delay in this chapter. I just finished with my finals week here and have been struggling to catch up with my research commitments.

Summary: X-men Twilight crossover. The evening

[Person's thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

**Beta'd by**: mia1601

_+_+_+_+_+_+

R-POV

After Alice her brothers left, I went back to my room to clean up a little while Charlie ordered pizza. The whole day had seemed bizarre to me still. I had to ask Charlie about the bathroom, but I figured he'd be fine. It didn't look like he'd ever touched any of the decorating around here.

I started painting the drywall we'd put up. I painted the three walls that didn't have the window black with a matte finish, so that they wouldn't reflect sunlight, not that that was very common around here. I stared at the wall that contained my window.

Outside my window, I watched the light fade away over the woods behind my uncle's house. Without the light, they were dark and foreboding. I was hit by a sudden inspiration, and nearly tripped on my way out of the room. "You okay up there Marie?"

"I'm fine Charlie. When's the pizza gonna get here?" I called back from the top of the stairs.

"Twenty minutes."

I pulled down the ladder that lead to the steep cramped attic in this house, desperately searching for the blue leather suitcase that should have my paints from childhood in it. There were lots of boxes, one sadly enough labeled 'Renee's things.' [Poor Charlie. I bet it took him years to move her stuff up here.] I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and began sorting.

I finally spotted my prize in the back corner, but the floor was rotted through to the ceiling below. [Damn Charlie. You really need to do some maintenance.] I made a mental note to ask Charlie about doing more repairs, and started navigating the exposed beams to try to reach the box. One gave way under my feet before I even put much weight on it, and I jumped back nimbly, regaining my balance.

_Watch it Kid. You ain't got Jean around to fix you up if you break something._ Logan reminded me, unnecessarily I might add.

[Ok. Maybe this isn't going to work.]

"Pizza's here!"

I sighed, turning away from my prize that lay just outside of my reach, and crawled back out of the attic.

Dinner was quick and quiet; Charlie left the television on while we ate, and the noise and hollars of another touchdown echoed around us. I jumped a little when he spoke up, "So who were those boys over her with Alice?"

"No one Uncle Charlie. Just her brothers."

"Hmmph. That's all?"

"Yes sir, that's all."

"You know, Marie..." He paused, taking in a deep breath. [Nothing good can come from that statement.] I thought to myself, but tried to keep my expression cool and collected. Not that it mattered: his eyes were glued to the television, unfocused. Whatever he was about to say, he couldn't look me in the eye while he said it.

"You're more than old enough to date. It would be okay with me if they were more than just, just your friend's brothers." I coughed, that was not what I was expecting. "Uncle Charlie, I..."

"No Marie. You listen here. I know you have been through a lot, and God help me I should have been there for you when your parents, when my sister, died. But I wasn't, and I am sorry about that." He cleared his throat, and then looked straight at me, boring holes through my eyes. I felt pinned to my seat.

"But I am here now. And you, you need friends, Marie. You need normalcy. I don't know what you were doin' at that damn school in New York, but you looked more broken when you showed up last week than I did when I thought all y'all were dead. I can already tell you are already tryin' to shut them out. Don't. You need friends, and, I'll be damned. Those kids are the best-behaved ones in town."

He looked away, and I finally could let myself breath. [Where the hell did that come from?] "I invited them all back over tomorrow. I believe Alice said something about fixing my bathroom up." He was back to watching the football game again, a small smirk playing on his lips. I couldn't bring myself to focus on the game or him, and instead picked up our plates. I quickly cleaned what we had used, and put the leftovers in our fridge.

"I'm gonna go to bed early, if that's okay. We had an early mornin' and all." I called to Charlie on my way up the stairs.

"Sure, sure. I'll be gone most of tomorrow too, fishin'. If those boys come over again, do me a favor and leave your bedroom door open, alright?"

"Sure sure." [It's just gonna be Alice tomorrow anyway.] I wished I had a way to call her, but I hadn't gotten their phone numbers yet. I wasn't used to having to do that; at the mansion, it wasn't necessary.

I sighed and headed upstairs. My blank wall glared at me from the door. I closed and locked the door carefully, and installed my new chain-lock. It was a simple knob and chain, but it would give me more confidence that no one could get in without me hearing it, and more importantly, give me some warning. I leaned against the door when I was done, and closed my eyes, trying to imagine my wall – my mural.

* * *

I set down my pencil, my hand aching from the effort. My entire wall was covered in some way, and painted the story of my life, complete with bits of everyone's memories. To everyone that didn't know my full story, it would just look like a normal, but extremely detailed, mural. But every detail, down to the colors of the houses in the little town, was from a memory. 16 houses. [And that's just for the ones that have a home to remember.] I mentally chided.

I was starting to feel tired, but I knew I had given Alice my word that I wouldn't sleep in here. Though I imagine spending all night in here wasn't exactly what she had in mind either, but at least I was near the window and it was open. I reached under my bed for my shopping bag from earlier and pulled out a pack of cigarettes with a lighter. I tucked them into my bomber jacket, and put it on. I leaned out the window, and straddled my windowsill. The roof was close enough that I could reach up and touch it. [Maybe I can swing up to it...]

_Be careful to throw your weight into the building_. (Logan)

I got on my feet, purposefully not looking down, and now could easily grab the roof. I swung myself on top, proud when I barely made a noise. [My thief skills haven't disappeared. Gambit would be proud.] My mood sank as I considered one of the true friends I had made during my time on the road. He was another mutant runaway, like me, but much older than I was at the time. He probably couldn't even technically be considered a runaway, being in his 20's, but his family had kicked him out and threatened his life. He wouldn't tell me the whole story behind it, and was always very careful not to touch me once he learned what I could do.

In spite of that, though, he taught me how to survive. Under his wing, I learned to stay out of sight and sound, how to pick pockets, how to blend in, how to disappear all together. He helped me get fake identification, and took me to my first bar, way under-aged and freaked out. He taught me how to break in two places. He even tried to teach me a few rules of seduction, but I had quickly halted him in that lesson.

_'"Remy, seduction is the last thing I want to do to someone. Haven't I told ya about my skin?"  
_

"_Cheri, dat ain't always gon' be a problem, and when dat happens, you got lots ta catch up on."_

"_How 'bout this then... when Ah get it under control, you'll be the first Ah call."'_

I laughed a little at the memory, and quickly packed my cigarettes on my leg. The night was quiet, and calm. Only a few stars peaked through the thick clouds above me, and the moon was a faint bulge of light to the north. I pulled one out and lit it, inhaling deeply. "Here's to you, Gambit. Wherever you are." I whispered to myself. I didn't have any way of getting a hold of him, not that he would care or even remember some girl he couldn't even touch from 3 years ago. I sighed, angered but mostly defeated. I wasn't worth remembering. Especially not anymore.

I stared at the stars that I could see, and felt fatigue slowly set in. My cigarette was finished, and I knew it was getting late, so I rolled back to my side and stood up slowly, swaying only slightly. I went back to the edge of the roof and lowered myself until I was hanging by my arms, and hooked my legs into the window seal. I let go and slammed against the wall, but grabbed the sill just in time to keep from falling, "There has got to be a better way to do this." I finally got back into my room and tumbled into bed, fully clothed.

-=-=-=-=-

EPOV

_Edward, I know you want to tell Carlisle about the crest, but it is going to raise an uncomfortable conversation. Are you sure you're ready for that?_

Alice's voice rubbed my conscious on the ride home. I considered this, "What do you mean?" I replied aloud, knowing Jasper would ignore us as usual. He was well acquainted to the two of us communicating back and forth and only receiving one end of the conversation, and was the only one that would tolerate the behavior. If it was important, Alice would inform him of the subject matter.

_I think Carlisle knows the crest. I can't see the conversation – too many decisions have yet to be made on what would be said. It is possible that Marie will push us away – I see us not speaking with her for a few weeks, but regardless of what is said, she seems to always come back. _

"I can't believe I'm having to ask you this, Alice. What do you think we should do?"

_Wait. I think it will come up again soon enough. _

"Fine, Alice"

When we got to the house, I didn't even bother going inside with my two siblings. Instead, Alice waved me off, "Don't try to help her – she'll be fine."

[Great, another cryptic message from the psychic.] I ran towards Marie's house and reached it quickly. _Pizza should be here soon. Wonder what Marie's doing up there?_ Charlie's thoughts came in. I stalled near the woods, waiting for him to give me a further indication of where in the house she might be.

[Maybe I could go in and introduce myself to him?] I shook my head at the thought, I hadn't driven, and that would raise too many suspicions. I crept closer to the house and climbed into a tree near Marie's window. She wasn't in the room, but the scraping sounds of sneakers against wood were coming from the attic space. [What is she looking for there?]

An unfamiliar car drove up; _I am sooo lucky I got chief Souleau's order. He always tips well. Maybe I can even get a glimpse of his niece. I hear she's new to town. I could show her around..._ I blocked out the boy's thoughts. The sound of wood breaking, and crumbling, made me concerned.

"Oh shit." It was barely a whisper in my ears, but it relieved my concerns none-the-less. I listened as footsteps padded down the floors to join Charlie for dinner. But the conversation that followed was disconcerting at best.

I tried to ignore the obvious go-ahead Charlie was shoving at Marie when it came to my brother and I. She was quite uninterested, as her protests showed. I squashed the hope that maybe she just wasn't comfortable discussing such things with her uncle.

[A school? In New York? Well I guess that confirms that her parents died less recently than she had led us to believe. But why wasn't she sent here immediately?]

When they finished, she went back to her room, which I had the perfect view of from my perch. She installed a ball-and-chain lock on her door, and then fell back against it, sitting down. At first, I thought she had spotted me, but I soon realized she was staring at the wall.

She eventually stood up, and grabbed a pencils-set out of her desk, and sat too close to the wall for me to watch her. Instead, I listened as graphite rubbed against painted sheet rock for hours. [I am definitely going with Alice tomorrow.] The anticipation of seeing whatever she had drawn was enormous.

By midnight, she had finally stopped. I listened to her crack her knuckles and stretch her palms, and then watched her grab her carton of cigarettes out from a bag under her bed. She then grabbed an old bomber jacket out of her closet and sat on the windowsill. In a feat worthy of acrobats, she threw her body onto the roof, the grip of her shoes against the rough roofing tiles barely making a noise. She looked oddly pleased and sad.

Then she took out her cigarettes.

She banged them against her leg a few times, and pulled one out and lit it. "Here's to you Gambit, wherever you are." She whispered into the night sky. I tried to ignore the stench of the nicotine and smoke – not a pleasant smell to any vampire, and was able to block it out. [Who's Gambit?] She finished her cigarette, and I breathed a prayer of thanks when she didn't light another one.

Her heart beat slowed, and breathing evened out. I realized in a panic that she was falling asleep on the roof, but Alice's words reminded me that she had probably seen this, and it would be okay. Sure enough, Marie stirred and stumbled quietly back to my end of the roof. She slung herself down into her window, while I waited with baited breathe to reach out and save her if she fell, and threw herself onto her bed, falling back into a deep sleep.

I stared at her open window. [It's practically an invitation.]

-=-=-=-=-


	16. 16: A tentative friendship

A/n: This is the second chapter I've posted tonight! Please, read 15 first. And my apologies but I am going to be on vacation this next week and probably won't get another chapter posted until next Sunday at the earliest.

Summary: A tentative friendship - or not

[Person's thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

**beta'd by: **mia1601

_+_+_+_+_+_+

EPOV

I gave in to my desires and let myself in through Marie's window as soon as her breathing evened out. [She gave her word not to fall asleep in here. I can still smell the wood glue. It shouldn't be strong enough to do her harm though, especially with the window open.]

She stirred again in her sleep, which I now recognized as her entering REM. [She is quite possibly the most restless sleeper I have ever been around.] Given that I have spent a lot of time in hospitals that was saying something.

**RPOV**

My mother is standing before me on the sidewalk. I'm playing catch with Dad. I accidentally throw a wounded duck towards a pink-painted house – my house – and the pigskin crashes through the first floor window into the dining room. My mother starts screaming at me and Dad.

And suddenly I'm in a basement; my father is yelling at me. My sister is crouched behind the couch with me. A strong hand grips my upper arm and yanks me out of hiding. I am now staring into blue eyes, on a scraggly blond-haired dirty face. Alcohol in his breath washes over my face, and I am briefly overcome with the stink of it. I close my eyes and wait for the blow.

My head pops to the side and I fall back. I let the guy above me think he's put me out for a second, but I can feel my face healing from his weak hit. He shakes his hand out, trying to rid it of the feeling of punching steel. Too bad – that feeling's about to get worse, much worse. I jump to my feet and slam the side of my foot across his jaw, and he falls to the ground. The crowd cheers me on in a drunken mob mentality.

Screams of horror fill my ears from below. I can hear everything. A limp body is laying over me; I shove it away before I realize it's Logan – my self-proclaimed protector. I've killed him. "No, no god please no." I gently lift his body with the remaining skill within me, and slowly bring us both down from where I almost lost my life, and my best friend lost his instead. "Please don't die. Please, you can't leave me here. DON'T LEAVE ME." I scream.

-=-=-=-=-

"I'm right here. Shhh." I wake up, realizing quickly that I was dreaming, and that someone else is in my room with me. I move to sit, and a breeze brushes past me. "Wait. Don't go." I call out; stretching my arms out wide, knowing the calm, masculine voice that comforted me out of yet another nightmare had probably disappeared by now.

"Please, don't leave me too." I whispered, letting my arms drop. I was alone. Suddenly, arms wrap back around me. I suppress my urge to jump and run, instead collapsing backwards into the support. "Thank you." I cringe as I fight to suppress the noise inside my head – imagine the Super Bowl crowd's screams, all contained in my relatively small head. My hands come up to rub my temples, but the smooth hands of my savior beat me to it. Slowly, I calm down, but I'm wide awake now.

[Who the hell is holding me?]

_Sounded like a boy. _(Jubilee)

_Sounded like Edward. _(Logan)

_His skin __**is**__ cold, and hard. (_Erik)

"Edward?" I breathed. A soft 'humm' in my ear was my only response. It sounded like he was smelling me. I crinkled my nose at the thought. I relaxed a little more, confident that it was Edward, but then the circumstances caught up with me, "Why are you here?" I said, turning in his arms to look at his face.

"I figured after we left that you were going to fall asleep in your room despite your word, and wanted to make sure you were alright." I could barely make out his features in the dark room, but his voice sounded too calm and collected, like a well planned lie.

"But how did you get in?" I spared a glance at my door. It was still locked with my ball and chain, so he couldn't have come in that way, could he?

"Your window is open, and the birch is close enough to get in that way. I apologize for entering without your explicit consent; however, given the circumstances, I assumed it more prudent to... bring a halt to your demons' assault." He said this with a sad smile.

[God he talks like he's from the turn of the century. Can't he be even the least bit casual? It's like 2 in the morning.] "Aren't you tired?"

"Not in the least."

I pulled myself from his arms, "Well, I am." I stood up and held out my hand to him. "Join me for a cup of coffee?"

"Shouldn't you get some rest? You haven't slept for more than 2 hours."

"There is no peace for the wicked," I told him.

"Isaiah 48:22. So saith the Lord." I looked back at him, his eyes portraying a sympathy and sadness I didn't want to try to comprehend right now.

He gave me a crooked smile and took my hand. "Lead the way."

Uncle Charlie was still dead asleep, and wouldn't be waking up until 4:30 on the dot, so I knew we had a few hours to ourselves. I wasn't sure how long Edward would be sticking around, but I planned to take advantage of the company.

"So what was your nightmare about?"

"What makes you so sure I was having a nightmare?"I replied, trying to be coy.

"You were crying in your sleep." Edward's voice was unusually gentle and soft as he continued, almost whispering, "Asking someone not to die. Not to leave you. I think his name was Logan."

I could feel my palms clam up as I recognized which dream I must have had. It was fuzzy though, which was odd. I usually can remember my dreams; I keep a journal for sorting out people's memories from them. "I'm not... sure. Is that all you heard?"

Edward looked at me with severe concentration, and then sighed. "No, before that, you spoke of hitting steel. You said, 'How'd you like that, bub?'"

I laughed, cupping my hands over my mouth to keep quiet. Edward's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Did I say something funny?"

I shook my head, "No no. It's not you, it's just..." I decided to get back to the dream question, being as honest as I could, "I was dreaming about a very close friend of mine, Logan. He's Canadian, and you sounded just like him, but you two look completely different."

Edward gave me a curious look, and motioned for me to continue. "You're tall, and pale. And very... refined. You're mysterious. He's practically the exact opposite. He's as rough around the edges as you can get, though I've always seen through all that. He's big, like Emmett is, but kind of short. I suppose you could say he gives new meaning to the phrase 'dynamite comes in small packages.'" I chuckled lightly at the sentiment. Logan would hate it if he was ever referred to as small.

_Damn right. I was considered tall for my era. It isn't my damn fault people put their kids on growth hormones nowadays. _(Logan)

[Oh hush up you.] I continued in a more somber tone, "But he has a big heart, and helped me out so many times when he didn't have any reason to. He has almost... I owe him, a lot." I cut myself off awkwardly, but I didn't want to get into a conversation about my near death experiences, or his, tonight. But Edward was smarter than that.

"So was that him that was dying in your dream? Is he... did he...?"

I snorted at his discomfort. No need to be tip-toeing around the matter – death was no stranger to me. "No he isn't dead." I took a long drag off of my cup of coffee and contemplated a smoke. My jacket was back upstairs though, and Edward was here. I wondered how I could get him to leave.

The silence between us made the tension in the air so thick I could have cut it with Logan's claws. [I shouldn't be doing this. He's a good guy. He doesn't need my shit.]

_Don't do this Rogue. Give him more credit than that._ (Jubilee)

"I'd thank you, for waking me up, but I am still a little creeped out by you being in my room." I said over my cup, watching his eyes. His meek expression called for a blush, but the cold, off-white pallor of his skin stayed constant.

I lowered my head in brief defeat, he obviously wasn't going to talk about why he was really here. [Had he been here before?] I looked him straight in the eyes and asked, well, more like demanded, "You've been here before haven't you?"

He shook his head, but lowered his eyes. He didn't speak. [Well shit. He **has **been here before.] Silence filled the room again, and I decided to give up. I was too cranky for this shit right now anyways.

"Look, I'm going to grab a smoke. You want to join me or just head home?"

He looked disgusted, and then wiped that look for one of curious concern. "You smoke? Don't you have to be eighteen?"

I sighed, [Crap. Totally not the conversation I wanted to have tonight.] "Yes well, I guess I'll take that as a no." I walked out of the kitchen and down the hall to the door. I reached to flip the lock, but his hand beat me to it, covering the knob as his other hand grabbed my shoulder and turned me towards him.

"I apologize for my words and actions. I didn't mean to insult you. While I do not wish to smoke myself, I would like to join you... if the offer still stands?" His topaz orbs held mine, and I felt like I couldn't refuse his request. I looked away, "Um... sure. Why not? Let me just go grab my coat."I stumbled, quietly, up the stairs and grabbed my jacket, and returned quickly.

We stepped out to Charlie's driveway, and I pulled out my pack and lit one while we walked. I opened the pack towards him, and he gave me a look. "Right, right. No cigarettes for the minor." I

inhaled deeply, rolling the filter in my fingertips. He stared at it with odd fascination. "Have you never seen someone smoke before?"

"Yes... No. I mean, yes, my parents – my real parents – smoked. And I've seen other people. But you look... different. Why do you smoke, Marie?"

"Why don't you smoke Edward?"

"Because it's illegal, given our age, and it wouldn't bring me any satisfaction."

I decided not to correct him on the age thing. It would come out eventually, but I already felt judged enough for one night. I certainly didn't need to add to it the disdain that came with why I was a year behind in school. "And it brings me lots of satisfaction."

"You know it will lead to lung cancer? That it could kill you?"

I laughed, loudly now that we were a good ways away from the house. "I'm planning on it. God, if only life would be merciful enough for the slow suicide of cigarette smoke to eat me away at 50-something." I inhaled again, and blew smoke rings. "I fear many things, Edward, but death is not one of them."

"Why?"

"Why should I fear something over which I have no control? I will die when I was meant to die." With as many near death experiences as I had walked away from, there was no other explanation.

I finished my cigarette and stubbed it out, before replacing the filter to my pack. "Well, this has been interesting Edward. But let's not do this again, okay?"

He looked disappointed and hurt. "What, you think your stalker-like tendencies were wanted?"

"No, I just thought you liked being able to sleep." He replied in a tone as callous as mine.

[Ouch. That hit a nerve.] "Yah, well, if I have to choose between my nightmares and you watching me in my sleep, I pick the nightmares."

"Oh." He said, and looked away.

I took his arm. [Damn he's hard as marble to move around.] Instead of moving him, which felt impossible, I moved into his range of vision and stooped to look up into his down-cast eyes. "Look, Edward. I appreciate what you did for me tonight. And what I suspect you have done for me in the past. But you... you are a good kid. Let's not fuck up your shit with some of mine, okay?"

He gave me a puzzled look, and I grabbed another cigarette. "I'm not... I'm not a good person to know. I've done a lot of regrettable and downright terrible things." I started tearing up. I lit the cigarette in my hand and sat down, patting the spot on the ground next to me.

He took a seat, his eyes demanding answers. I inhaled deeply, trying to calm myself down. "You're what, 16?" He hesitated, then shook his head.

Suddenly, his phone rang. I motioned for him to pick it up, and he stood and walked away a bit. I couldn't hear what was being said, so instead I focused on what I would tell him.

_Be careful how much you reveal, Marie. His family seems pretty religious._ (Logan)

_He's too much of a prude to be worth your time anyway._ (John)

"Marie?"

Edward's voice pulled me from my mental musings, and I looked up at him. "Alice just called. I need to head back home. She said to tell you that she'll be here at 7, and that she'd tell you to get some sleep, but she knows you won't."

He stuck a hand out, and I grabbed it, pulling myself up. "I'm sorry Edward. But I can't be... I don't... There can't be anything between us. I've been pretty much so alone for a long time. And when I finally graduate in a year and a half, I'm going to be alone again."

He looked sad, so I reached up and cupped his cheek. "It isn't something about you. Trust me. You... are perfect." I pressed my fingertip against his lips. "You should go."

He nodded and walked away. [Did he walk here?]

_He can walk himself back home if he did. You should get inside before Charlie wakes up._ (John)

[Yeah, yeah.] I walked back to the house, feeling more shaken up than I had when I had woken up. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was severely fucking up.


	17. 17: Redoing the bathroom

A/n: Woo-hoo and I am back from vacation. Now I just have to write this pesky thing called a thesis and defend it in front of three really smart and important people. Forgive me, but I don't have it in me to do strictly fluffy chapters. Every chapter has some action.

Summary: Edward x Rogue. AU both worlds.

beta - mia1601

[Person's thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

_+_+_+_+_+_+

Previously:

He stuck a hand out, and I grabbed it, pulling myself up. "I'm sorry Edward. But I can't be... I don't... There can't be anything between us. I've been pretty much so alone for a long time. And when I finally graduate in a year and a half, I'm going to be alone again."

He looked sad, so I reached up and cupped his cheek. "It isn't something about you. Trust me. You... are perfect." I pressed my fingertip against his lips. "You should go."

He nodded and walked away. [Did he walk here?]

_He can walk himself back home if he did. You should get inside before Charlie wakes up._ (John)

[Yeah, yeah.] I walked back to the house, feeling more shaken up than I had when I had woken up. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was severely fucking up.

_+_+_+_+_+_+

RPOV

I spent the rest of my morning awake and was feeling rough. My own doubt over my words to Edward was haunting me, and I feared the confrontation that was coming with Alice in the morning.

[I hope I said the right thing to Edward.]

_You discredit yourself too much. Maybe you shouldn't have been so quick to cut the guy off. _(Jubilee)

_You did right by the kid. He was only going to turn you away if he had learned about the real you. Did you see the size of the crucifix in his house? _(John)

[Yeah, but you and I were both raised by the devout John. The apple can fall farther from the tree than anyone ever thinks.]

_Regardless of the young man's religious convictions, keeping a friendship with him and his sister would ultimately lead to a revealing of your true identity. It would be unavoidable with any dear friend. _ (Erik)

[Not necessarily.]

_Do you honestly believe that those children are that blind to your apparent differences? Rogue, no one is that dumb. You have nearly revealed yourself multiple times in the past few days. What will happen after a few weeks? _(Erik)

_But Marie, that ain't necessarily a bad thing. Besides, they might notice anyway. If you shut them out now, you're givin' 'em reason to be suspicious. _(Logan)

I pulled out of my mental daydreams at the sound of Charlie's police cruiser was pulling out of the driveway. The sky was becoming a lighter gray. A knock on my bedroom door nearly made me fall out of the window I had perched on. Alice walked in.

"Hope you don't mind too much Marie, but I figured you were up." She danced over to my bed and sat down, looking curiously at the mural that surrounded me. I stoically watched her face, waiting for her reaction. Her eyes went in and out of focus as she grew increasingly upset, but just as I realized this; her face reverted back to a smile. "Awesome sketch Marie. Did you want breakfast before we get started?"

"Ummm." I stood up, confused by her change of pace, but happy that she wasn't asking questions. "Nahh, let's just get going. It's going to take a lot of work anyway."

We took to task, emptying the bathroom of all the stuff in it, then thoroughly cleaning it, much like I had done the week prior when I had first arrived. The bathroom itself was small and cramped, with only a sink, toilet, and shower stall at the end. Charlie didn't have a bathtub, which was fine by me, as I hadn't been able to use one since I'd absorbed Logan. It was currently painted a faded forest green, with floral wallpaper above the chair rail. Everything in the room was outdated and a little dingy.

Our time together passed in relative silence, Alice, again, surprising me. I hadn't thought she was capable of being quiet, after being so boisterous the day before, but the only words exchanged between the two of us: "Hand me that." "Catch this." and the occasional, "Watch out", though the last came exclusively from Alice to me.

We primed the walls and then took a break. It was nearly noon now. I went downstairs to make us sandwiches, Alice still finishing a small section above the shower stall.

My gloves were covered in white flecks of primer. I sighed, picking at the embedded paint. [These will never come clean.] I peeled them off, and put them in a bowl of water to try to soak off the paint and grime. I washed my hands, scrubbing them raw per usual. [Will I ever be able to look at these hands with anything but disdain?]

As I reached for a dishtowel to dry them, a cold pair of hands latched around my arms, and I screamed, throwing my weight back against the person instinctively to push them away. Their grip on me tightened, and Edward's warm, velvety voice brought me back from my instincts as he gently let go and turned me around. "It's just me Marie. I thought I'd come surprise you. Well, and Jasper was anxious to see Alice."

I wrapped the dishtowel more tightly around my hands – I don't know how I managed not to throw it away when I was frightened – covering them entirely. I felt self-conscious of my short sleeves, or rather, of my whole attire.

I was wearing holey, gray sweatpants that had definitely seen better days. I think I stole them from John. _You did, but they look better on you. _(John) My t-shirt I had picked up at a mall with Jubilee once; it's printed design read "Believe the unbelievable." on the front with a unicorn, and the back, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2007" with a wicked looking horse, called a Selestial. The series both printed and on screen, had been a big hit with many of us at the mansion, partly because we found the whole thing very funny and ironic. Humans will readily accept witches and wizards, but mutants are wholly different, even though the concept was nearly the same.

Regardless, the t-shirt, too, had seen better days. And both items were covered in paint flecks. "Umm." Edward's golden eyes were like swirling lights set into his perfect face. I was having trouble remembering my self-consciousness.

_Marie, you turned this guy away not ten hours ago. Snap out of it. _(Logan)

I crossed my arms over my chest and stepped back. "Excuse me, I should go change." I ran up the stairs as quickly as I dared, ignoring Alice and Jasper who were making out in the bathroom, and slammed my bedroom door. I moved to my dresser, my mind set on changing. But then, a wave of confidence poured over me, and my self-doubt disappeared. [Wait, what am I doing? I don't need to change. I don't care about Edward Cullen.]

_Or any other human boy._ (John)

I only opened my top drawer, looking for another set of old, worn gloves. We still had to finish the bathroom, so I grabbed a pink pair that had runs in the stitching. I'd worn them for a formal dance at Xavier's, with an awful pink and black dress that Jubilee and Kitty had insisted I looked good in. They had been wrong.

_You looked great in that dress Marie. _(Jubilee)

_Yeah, like a pink powder puff_ (John)

I growled as I pulled them on, and then went back to my door, deciding to ignore Edward's presence and the curling twist in my traitorous gut that responded to him, and get back to painting that darn bathroom. The door opened for me, and Edward, followed by Alice, followed by Jasper, entered my room. The boys stared at my pencil outline on the far wall as Alice frowned at my gloves.

"I thought you were going to change..." She whispered. I didn't pay her any attention, though, instead watching Jasper's face as he tried to interpret my drawing. I could see the questions forming on his face. Questions I didn't want to answer. [I don't want to lie to him. Or to Alice.]

Instead, I swept from my room, ignoring the tension trying to build. "Y'all hungry for lunch? Alice you must be starving." I twirled around the banister and suddenly tripped on the top step. [Oh shit. Relax, relax. Don't tense up.]

I heard Alice yell. Instead of falling, my upper body twisted, landing my hands on a step halfway down the stairs and pushing off, allowing me to land in a crouch at the bottom. [Holy shit. How did I just do that?]

I stood slowly, and turned around to see three wide pairs of eyes staring at me from the top of the stairs. "Oops." I said, trying to laugh off the nerves I felt. "Well that was fun." I shook out my arms, trying to hide the shakes I was having.

Unsuccessful, and feeling the weight of their scrutiny on me, I stormed into the kitchen, collapsing in the rickety chair that sat in our small dining area. [Where the hell did those moves come from?] For once, I was very unhappy with the silence in my head.

My head in my hands, but staring straight down, I concentrated on bringing my heart and breathing rate back down to normal. The air grew colder around me, signaling that while I didn't hear them enter, they had. "Sorry, just a little unnerved. Give me a minute and ah'll fix y'all somethin' to eat."

I breathed slowly. Silence met me inside and out. Then someone pulled out a chair and sat in front of me. I looked up to see Alice, and no one else. "I sent them back upstairs to mix the paint we are going to use. Now I was hoping that you'd let me change what we decided on in the store." As she continued telling me about a paint technique she wanted to do, I realized with relief that she wasn't going to question my acrobatic moves down the stairs, nor my actions that followed the fall.

_But why not?_ (John)

_Perhaps they already know more than we think they do. _(Erik)

"Alice" I interrupted her. "Whatever you want to do is fine by me. Honestly anything would be better than what it was." [And if you can accept that I am different without question, then maybe I'm better off here than I hoped for.]

**APOV**

Sometimes, I really hate my ability.

Only Edward, and Jasper to some extent, understands how finicky and undependable my sight can be, in spite of how hard I have worked to improve my focus.

In the years since I awoke for the last time, I have only learned to block out random visions, like blinders for a horse, but I still struggle to identify what my family will do and what will happen to the people I love. The more time I spend with someone, the better my focus. But with Marie, the opposite seems true.

Last night, I called Edward because I finally got a glimpse of what was happening between him and Marie, and it wasn't good. Had he stayed longer, she would have stopped speaking to me too.

But I couldn't see why. I tried so hard to see the conversation they were having, but all I could get was Edward and I fighting in two weeks over Marie's persistent cold shoulder.

Today, though, I decided that my loss of sight didn't matter. My gift includes naturally good intuition. And Marie, for all that I can see of her faults, I know is a good person.]

"Well Alice, that's good to know. I agree, though your dear Jasper does not."

"Hey, at least let me know what you two are going on about so I can defend myself."

"Nothing, Jazzy. Just ignore Edward. He's listening in when he shouldn't be anyway. Slow down, a police officer is around the next bend."

Jasper slowed down and took the curve at the recommended 20 miles per hour, and the cop, whom I recognized as Deputy McElroy, waved at us. Edward grimaced at something in his thoughts, but said nothing.

As we approached Marie's street, my vision blurred.

'_Marie opens the door. "Oh, hi you guys." She turns away, frowning as she looked at the three of us. "Listen, I know we were supposed to finish the bathroom today, and I meant to call, but I really have to finish some work for school tomorrow. I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here...'_

_'Marie opens the door, "Hey Alice, come on in..."_

"Stop the car."

Jasper hit the brakes, throwing the car into a small tail spin as we skidded to a halt. "I'm going alone." I stepped out the car at the same time as Edward, him having seen my vision with me, I'm sure. His head nodded in assent. "Let's go, Jazz. We'll go hunting."

I arrived at Marie's house alone, but she didn't come to the door as I had seen in my vision. Instead, I found her upstairs, staring off into the woods out of her window. A beautiful, hand-sketched scene decorated one of her walls, but I didn't question her about it, knowing that she preferred her privacy and I would get no answers.

The morning went well, and I could tell Marie had loosened up. We worked well together, tackling the little bathroom; I didn't even mind that I could have finished the job in less than 10 minutes were I working alone. I focused on the future while working, Marie's silence and generally calm demeanor lent well to it. A vision halfway through painting prompted me to call my husband and brother and invite them back.

'"_So where are the guys?" Marie asks me casually. "They are at home. They may stop by later, but I figured the two of us could conquer a little bathroom by ourselves, don't you think?" Marie nods and turns away. '_

"_Oh Hi Edward." Marie gives me a desperate look as I leave her and Edward in the kitchen to search out Jasper again. '_

Well, she wasn't running for the hills. At least, not that I could see. But I knew she and Edward would make up some time, and I wasn't known for my patience. Though my brother hadn't exactly shared what happened last night between them, I could tell it went poorly enough when Jasper kept seeking my comfort. He was hurting, badly.

I waited until Marie went downstairs to fix us lunch, which I was dreading swallowing down, only to have to regurgitate it later, before I called Jasper and told him and Edward to come. They were still hunting, not that I was surprised.

Jasper surprised me upstairs, but in the middle of our reunion, my eyes glazed over with a vision.

' _Marie runs up the stairs obviously flustered. She digs through her chest of drawers and pulls out a cute red, long sleeved top and black pants, with new, black kid gloves. '_

I laughed whole heartedly at her anxiousness; Edward couldn't have cared less about what she was wearing, though I was ready to burn the horrific sweatpants and t-shirt combo she had on. I heard her yelp downstairs, and then come bumbling up. She slipped past us and into her room.

The chest under my hands started vibrating with a growl as Edward followed her up the stairs. "What's wrong Jasper?" I asked, but he didn't need to answer. I felt the truth of the vision of Marie disappear, and as we followed Edward into her bedroom, I slipped into another version of the future.

'_ Marie tumbles down the stairs and I can hear her bones snap at every step she hits. Edward leaps down after her.'_

_' Marie tumbles down the stairs, and then... floats before hitting them. Her eyes widen as she realizes what she has done, and her concentration breaks, sending her the rest of the way down, unconscious. '_

I heard Marie trip, and realized I was too late. [Damn visions!] Neither of my visions came true, however. Instead, Marie gracefully and skillfully flipped down the stairs, landing safely at the bottom. She looked up at us with frightened eyes, and I could practically feel Jasper having to restrain his inner beast at the sight of a frightened prey. Before anything else could happen she ran into the kitchen.

"Stay up here."

Edward started to protest, but I cut him off. "She's scared of what she just did. She'll find me the least threatening."

I carefully walked into the kitchen, and gave Marie a wide berth as I walked around her to sit at the table. She was shaking hard, and I waited for the right moment to announce my presence. But apparently, she is harder to fool than most humans. [Why am I not surprised?] I decided to ignore whatever the hell had just happened.

'_ Marie looks at me gratefully as I talk about changing the paint scheme for the bathroom.'_

_'Marie sits with me at lunch, Wednesday.'_

_'Monday morning, sunshine filters in through Jasper and I'd bedroom window.'_

[God sometimes I hate the weather.] I heard Edward laugh upstairs, but ignored him. [**I haven't had any more visions of the two of you together, so you probably have some major groveling to do buddy.**]


	18. 18: The Ceiling Incident

A/n: First off, I want to apologize in advance if I offend anyone in this chapter. However, I do remember that at least in my high school, this was a common thing for people to tease one another about, especially if someone already didn't fit in. I have several gay and lesbian friends, but like anything else, being different often gives something for vultures to feed upon, and that is what I am trying to play up in this chapter.

Summary: Edward x Rogue. AU both worlds.

[Person's thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

**beta'd by : **mia1601

_+_+_+_+_+_+

Previously:

I carefully walked into the kitchen, and gave Marie a wide berth as I walked around her to sit at the table. She was shaking hard, and I waited for the right moment to announce my presence. But apparently, she is harder to fool than most humans. [Why am I not surprised?] I decided to ignore whatever the hell had just happened.

'Marie_ looks at me gratefully as I talk about changing the paint scheme for the bathroom.'_

_'Marie sits with me at lunch, Wednesday.'_

_'Monday morning, sunshine filters in through Jasper and I'd bedroom window.'_

[God sometimes I hate the weather.] I heard Edward laugh upstairs, but ignored him. [**I haven't had any more visions of the two of you together, so you probably have some major groveling to do buddy.**]

_+_+_+_+_+_+

RPOV

I followed Alice back up the stairs to where the boys were already painting the bathroom. They both looked up with smiles when Alice and I reached the door to the tiny room. It was too small to fit the four of us, so Alice and I leaned against the door frame while watching the boys paint. "Hello ladies." Jasper said, without looking up.

I warily eyed both boys, waiting anxiously for questions or comments that never came. As I relaxed, I noticed Jasper's shoulders release tension and nearly laughed. My chocked giggle earned me a strange look from my three new friends - well, from Alice and Edward at least; Jasper was clutching his ribs trying to keep from bursting into laughter as well - and I had to turn away before I burst into full blown laughter.

"Are you okay?" Alice said, patting me gently on my back. I cleared my throat, knowing my eyes were probably shining with happiness that I hadn't felt in a very long time. [Why am I so happy?]

_Because everyone needs acceptance, and you just found it._ (Erik)

"I'm fine Alice. Just fine."

The boys finished all the painting for us, and we moved everything back into the bathroom. It was still early in the afternoon, but I felt more and more relaxed around the three of them than I had the previous day. Knowing Jasper was a mutant too helped, I'm sure. We moved into my bedroom, door open, as Charlie requested, and I turned on my music, this time choosing a slightly more lively mix of folk music. Jasper and Alice were looking at my knickknacks that were scattered throughout the room, and Edward was surfing on my computer. I remembered the paints upstairs, and decided to go get them.

"Hey guys, I'm going to go grab some paints from the attic. Be back in a bit."

They all nodded. I crawled back into the small, cramped space, and maneuvered on my hands and knees back to the corner that held the paint set I wanted. I looked at the beams before me, trying to decide which, if any, would hold my weight, when I heard a shout from downstairs. [Silly kids. Probably just flirting around.]

I moved forward and the beam beneath me gave way. I came crashing down into Charlie's room in a mess of paster, wood, and dust, and landed hard on the floor.

Pain ripped through my right wrist, which had unfortunately taken the brunt of my fall. I whimpered as I cradled it to my chest.

I tried to roll to my feet, but cold hands on my shoulders kept me down. "Don't move, you might have hurt your neck or back in the fall." Edward's voice was calm and collected.

"I'm fine. I can feel my toes just fine and my wrist is very effectively telling my head how much pain it's in. Let me up." I told him, again trying to get up, but he still kept me down. He wasn't looking at me, but at Alice.

Her eyes were out of focus, but her face was covered in a guilty, sad expression. "She's fine Edward. You can let her up. Her wrist is severely sprained, but not broken. Minor bruising and scraps, but nothing too bad." Her eyes came back into focus, and she turned into Jasper's chest, mumbling something I couldn't understand.

[Why is she so upset? How did she know my wrist wasn't broken?]

_The guilt... It is as though she knew, or should have known, what was coming._ (Erik)

I moved away from Edward and up to Alice, rubbing her back softly with my good hand. "Hey Alice, its okay. I'll be fine. I should have known those boards were too rotten to hold my weight."

She looked up at me with awe and mild confusion. Then she smiled. "Of course Marie. Let's get you to the hospital and get that looked at though, just to be sure."

I tensed at the mention of a hospital. "No... Let's just get this cleaned up. It's just a sprain; I don't need to see a doctor."

Edward pitched in, "Really, you should go get checked. I'll drive."

"No. I'm not going." I tried to keep calm, but some of the venom I was feeling seeped into my words.

"I didn't say it was up for negotiation."

[He's being ridiculous.] "I am not going to the hospital for a sprained wrist, Edward."

"Marie, you just fell ten feet onto a hard wood floor. Once the adrenaline wears off, you'll need pain medication and muscle relaxers."

I nearly snapped at his smug and overbearing tone. "And I've been in worse pain before. This..." I said, gently waving my hurt wrist towards him, even though it made the appendage scream up my nerves in an aching, agonizing pain, "is bearable. I don't mind the pain. Pain is my body's way of letting me know I'm still alive."

He looked at me incredulously. Jasper spoke, breaking our staring contest, "Why don't you come by the house, then, and let Carlisle take a look at it? Just to be sure?"

I started, having almost forgotten he was there. They obviously weren't going to let me go without getting it looked at, but at least I wouldn't have to go back into that sterile, cold hospital. "Sure."

I looked at the mess I'd created in Charlie's room sadly. I'd hate for him to come home to a bed covered in debris and no ceiling. Alice must have noticed my distraught expression because she said, "How about I drive you to our house, and the boys stay behind and clean this up?"

I looked at her, and then at the boys, who both nodded in agreement. "Alright. But be careful, okay? I don't want you to get hurt too."

They both smirked at this, but nodded anyway. Alice grabbed my good arm, which I shook off instinctively, and we went back downstairs and drove to her parents' house.

"I am so sorry Marie. I should have gone with you upstairs and helped you." I shrugged off Alice's apology, "Alice you have nothing to apologize for. You couldn't have known. It's not like you can see the future or anything. Accidents happen."

Alice was strangely silent after that, though after this morning, I was getting used to her quiet demeanor when she wasn't around the boys. When we arrived at the Cullen house, Carlisle was home and greeted us at the door.

"Hello Marie."

"Hey Doc!"

"Why are you here? Where are Jasper and Edward?"

Alice pitched in, "Carlisle, Marie fell about ten feet through the ceiling in Charlie's house, and sprained her wrist. Could you take a look at it?"

He worried his brow at this, "Of course, but why didn't you go to the hospital?"

"Oh that wouldn't have been necessary. I've sprained a wrist or two before. We shouldn't even be here." I grabbed Alice's arm trying to leave, but she stood stone still, and I couldn't budge her.

"Non-sense." He wrapped his arm around me, gently ushering me into their living room, "This will only take a minute."

After a few twists and gentle probes, he declared that it was in fact a sprained wrist, and gave me a removable soft cast. After a few pointers, and trying, unsuccessfully, to get me to take some pain medication, I was free to go.

We were back at Charlie's and I was up the stairs to look at the damage before I knew it, and was shocked to see that the room was completely cleaned and the ceiling repaired, the fresh paint smell still clinging in the air.

"Wow, your brothers work fast. Where are they anyway?" I asked Alice, who had followed me upstairs.

The answer came from my room, "Hey Marie. We're in here."

We went back to the room, where Edward immediately accosted me, taking my wrist and examining it. I ripped it away from him, "I'm fine, like I said I'd be."

I could have sworn I heard him growl. I saw the suitcase I had been searching for in the attic sitting on my bed, and moved past Edward to reach it. Smiling gleefully, I turned to him, "How did you know it was what I was searching for?"

He motioned to the mural sketched on the far wall. "I figured you planned to color it."

I looked at the mural I had created the night before, it's scenes and stories jumping out at me. "Thanks."

I slowly filled in the coloring on the mural as they sat around in my room. When they left that evening, Alice informed me that they were going camping for the next few days because the weather was supposed to be clear.

APOV

As we drove up to the house, Edward and Jasper immediately tensed up. "They're angry."

"Rosalie wants to rip into us; Emmett's struggling to hold her back."

I shrugged needlessly – I knew we were in for a little heat.

We walked up to the door at a slow pace, even for humans, but before we reached the porch, Rosalie burst through, nearly tearing the poor wood off its hinges.

"Where the hell have you all been? What are you thinking? Spending this much time with a freaking human, are you out of your minds? She's going to find us out, and then reveal us, and then we'll have to move again!"

She was screaming, but careful to keep the volume to a roar, and not a thunder. Emmett emerged and simply shrugged his shoulders, as if to say, 'What can I do?'

Edward responded to her words, "No one said I have to be here at night to overhear you two and your antics, and what I do with my weekends is my business. Let Carlisle speak to me if there's an issue, otherwise, butt out." He pushed past her, flying into the house.

"You..." Rosalie continued, pointing at me. Jasper jumped in front of me and crouched, "Don't you dare attack my wife, Rosalie. She knows what the hell she is doing. Emmett, get a handle on **your** wife before I have to." He spoke with a growl. At that, Emmett took Rosalie by her upper arms and dragged her back into the house and up the stairs.

When we followed them inside, we were met by Carlisle and Esme. Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett were nowhere to be seen, and I couldn't pinpoint Edward breathing anywhere in the house.

"You have been very secretive, Alice." Carlisle started. "I trust you remember the most important rule of our kind... she cannot find us out." He stated, boring holes into my eyes.

"Then you should trust that your trust in me is not misplaced, Carlisle. I know the laws."

"Dear, would you tell us how this weekend has gone? Edward ran off as soon as he came in." Esme's excitement came through in her voice.

"Well, Marie is very conservative. She's nice." I leaned in closer, though I knew everyone in the house could hear me, "And I think she might like Edward as much as he likes her." I whispered conspiratorially.

She giggled a little, but Carlisle looked a little shocked. "You mean..." he shook his head, as if trying to meld the idea that his oldest 'son' and dearest friend may have finally fallen in love. Jasper affirmed it for him.

"Yes, Edward seems to have taken to her. And he isn't the only one." He finished, turning to me.

"Marie is special Carlisle. Believe in that if nothing else."

He nodded, and they went back to their suite. While I was concerned about Edward, I knew he would be back before the sun rose tomorrow, so I let him have his peace. "We are going camping until Wednesday evening... it will be sunny in Forks, and we could all use a good hunting trip." I announced in a gentle voice, no volume necessary for my family to hear me.

RPOV

Monday morning as I pulled into the school parking lot, I noticed the absence of the Volvo. Alice had told me yesterday that her family would be taking advantage of the good weather, but I was surprised at how acutely I was already feeling their absence. The day crawled by, my lack of sleep the night before thanks to Logan's, and Erik's, horrific memories, making it even harder to pay attention. My first class felt so empty without Alice, but then I overheard rumors that I had ignored before.

People were gossiping about who I may be, and why the Cullens and Hales were hanging around me. I tried my best to ignore the whispers, but then lunch time came around.

I tried to sneak away to the gym per usual, but before I could even leave the main hall where my locker was, I was cornered by a greasy blond. [Mike, from my biology class.] I remembered, but he was talking to me.

"So, I know you're new around here, and I was wondering if I could show you around." His demeanor was a little too eager, and I tried to think of a way to let him off easy.

"Umm, thanks Mike, but really, I'm fine. I did come here a lot as a kid to visit my uncle, and really, I'm pretty busy with training and all."

"How about dinner then? This Friday?" I shrugged my shoulders, [This kid just isn't getting it.]

"Mike thanks, but no thanks. We really aren't the same type."

"What and Cullen is your type? Is that it?"

[Defensive much?] "Actually, no. I'm just not interested right now." I tried to keep calm, but once again, someone was wearing on my already thin nerves from yet another sleepless night.

"Oh. Are you lesbian?"

[Oh. My. God.] I couldn't see fit to even acknowledge his question with a response, and walked away. After lunch, I regretted that decision. All the girls in biology were staring at me in my half-empty desk, whispering, though I could hear the jest of it clearly.

"She's like a lesbo or something."

"I knew she was weird, why else would the Cullens talk to her?"

"She's so weird."

"She fights too. I bet she's a dyke."

I buried my head in my arms, wishing that the day would just be over already. We didn't do much in biology, and I made an extra effort to copy my notes neatly, in case Edward would want them.

PE came and went, and I gladly exercised on my own resistance training until the hour was up. The hushed rumors were still ongoing, though the wildfire with which they were spreading earlier had slowed down. I heard one girl, Angela, making an effort to stand up to Jessica.

"What proof do you have, Jess? What Mike said after chasing her like a rabid dog? Please."

"But she doesn't talk to any of us, and she threatened Lauren in the girls' locker room last week."

"And Lauren was asking for it. Don't be so judgmental." With that, I watched her storm off, into the arms of an awaiting boy. The two of them shot a pity-filled look my way before rejoining in the game of the day, which was a strange take on badminton with too large birdies and rackets. [I don't need anyone's pity.]

We had practice today, which I was grateful for. I saw Seth as soon as he came in, and was eager to lay into him again. The coach reminded us that we had a meet in two weeks, and told us to pair up and get going.

Seth was easier this time around and incredibly frustrated that by the end of the day he hadn't pinned me once. [Or maybe that I succeeded in pinning him 12 times in the hour and a half practice.] I watched his head droop in defeat as the coach called time, and I reached over to give him a love tap on the shoulder. "Hey Seth, you are doing really well. I've got years of experience on you."

He gave me a glare that told me I'd missed the mark on my 'cheer up Seth' speech. [Uhh I suck at this. What do guys with deflated egos want to hear?]

_He's just had his ass whooped by a girl, Rogue. You aren't going to be able to make him feel better. _(John)

"Well, you look great all sweaty anyway." I tried to joke with him, and surprisingly he perked up, puffing out his chest just a little. It was then that I realized he had grown since... Friday? "Damn, you're having one hell of a growth spurt. You are huge!" I told him. He seemed pleased, but then shied away.

"I know. Guys on the reservation are all suddenly getting bigger. I don't know what's..."

"Hey Seth!" Another one of the reservation boys, at least so I guessed by his russet skin and black silk hair, called to Seth, making the both of us turn to see him.

"Jacob?" I vaguely recognized the young man, but sure enough, it was Jacob Black.

"Anna?"

"Jacob!" I deftly leaped into his arms, and he caught me, though I made sure to support myself on his shoulder just in case. The other guys in the gym came to halt – watching my interactions with the young Native American closely. [Probably trying to figure out if I'm actually gay.]

"Just go with me okay?" I whispered, and felt his soft nod.

I slid slowly back down his body, making my body twist in a provocative way past his hips. I grabbed the nape of his neck and tilted him towards me, going in for a kiss. His eyes lit up, but I slid my hand in between our lips so that while it would look like we were locking lips, he never touched my skin. Hoots and hollers' echoed in the gym around us, and as we pulled apart, I thought caught a sad look in his eye.

We left the gym together, and I thanked Jake for helping me out, explaining the rumors that had been circulating the school. "Thanks for the performance, Jake. Apparently, being different equals being homosexual around here. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I'm an outcast enough on my own, you know?"

He laughed, at me or the rumors I wasn't sure, "You... lesbian? The girl that practically tackled all the reservation boys as a kid playing house?"

I laughed with him. "Yeah, that kid exactly."

"You should join us at the rez this weekend. We're having a bit of a party."

"I'll be there. Sam already invited me."

At my mention of Sam, both boys got uneasy, turning their eyes to the ground and shuffling their feet. "What's wrong, you guys?"

Jacob shook his head, but Seth looked up and told me, "Well, Sam's been running a kind of gang. They aren't hurting anyone, or anything like that, but they just give me the creeps. Once someone joins, they quit talking to anyone else, and just follow him around like a lost puppy or something."

"And they've been giving me these weird looks too. Like they expect me to join them or something." Jacob pitched in.

"Sam's not doing drugs, is he?"

They both shook their heads fervently no, "But everyone in the gang is really big – they are the biggest guys on the reservation."

We parted ways after that, and I rushed home to cook for Charlie. That night, I dreamed my own nightmare, in which Jacob and Seth were swallowed whole by massive wolves, and all I could do was stand idly by and watch.


	19. 19: A bike, dinner, and revelation

A/N: Thousand apologies for my long absence. My life went to hell in a handbasket for a while, and on top of that, my motivation to write went out the window because so few people even read the last chapter I posted.

**To those of you who Reviewed** the last chapter - you have my sincerest gratitude. It was seeing that those who are still reading are very intereted in the story, and it is for you that I am continuing.

Rest assured, people, that I am back, and I have more to come for this story, and if I ever give up on it, I will at the very least post my notes for the story so that someone else can finish it should they feel so motivated. Again, I am really sorry. Bare with me, I haven't had this chapter beta'd.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Tuesday proved to be slightly less interesting than Monday, but only by a margin. The boys were back in full force. Mike Newton seemed to have nothing better to do than walk me to my classes, even though I obviously already knew my way around. I tried to put him off, giving him the cold shoulder, stating blatantly that I knew where my classes were, and no thanks for the help, but he was too blind, or stubborn, to leave me alone. Biology was the worst.

The bell had just rang, signaling the end of the biology lesson and the start of 6th period. I reached for my books, to pack up, but a pair of white hands beat me to it, stealing my books and notes off my desk and holding them out of my reach. "Let me walk you to 6th period, Marie." Mike Newton stated. It was not meant as a question, but I objected anyway.

I stood and ripped my notes back out of his hands, "No thank you, Mike. I can get there on my own."

He reached for the books, but I quickly stuffed them into my bag and ran out of the classroom. He trailed after me calling, "Why oh why Marie has thou forsaken me?"

I was so mortified by his behavior that I refused to speak to him in gym, and ran to my truck to hurry home. Outside of Mike, however, the rest of the school population now was convinced that I was with 'the cute, bulky boy from the reservation.' I was just happy that the boys seemed to leave me alone; I didn't appreciate admirers.

Sleep didn't come easy, but my nightmares were hard to remember, and I hadn't woken up screaming again, which I took as a good sign.

Wednesday the coach kicked me out of the gym for lunch, because they were refinishing the gym floors, and I had to join the rest of the students in the lunchroom. I warily got my food, and searched for a place to sit. There was an empty round table at the far end of the lunchroom that I headed for, only to be called out by Angela to come sit with her. She was sitting with Ben, Jessica, Mike, and 'Lori' and her crew, but I decided it could be entertaining and decided to sit with them.

Lauren's annoyingly high pitched voice carried across the table. "Why is _she_ sitting with _us_?"

[Oh and the fun begins.] "Because I was asked here. Why are you sitting with them? Are you too absorbed in your own fake reality to actually believe these people like you?"

She huffed, "They do like me! This is my table, and these people sit here because I allow them to."

"Are you really so sure about that, queen bee?"

"Of course."

"Fine." I smirked at her across the table, noting that the only people listening to her little declaration were Angela and Ben. I figured they were on my side when I saw Angela give me a little smile. Wherever she went, Ben went. They weren't officially together, but I didn't need to be an empath to see the feelings between the two.

" Angela, Ben, Mike, Jessica, would you like to join me in the quad? The weather is beautiful outside." I stared into Mike's eyes, and then Jessica's, trying to convey a sense of peace and togetherness. It worked, and all four of them stood with their trays and followed me outside.

We talked about nothing in particular, until the girls brought up the big dance that Alice had told me about last weekend. Apparently Jessica and Angela were going shopping today after Angela finished with some chores at her father's church. As it turns out, Angela was the local minister's daughter and it was her responsibility to prepare the teen room for Wednesday night worship.

"Would you like to join us, on Sunday's I mean? I don't go to Wednesday night meetings myself, but Sunday night we have a teen service too."

"Sure Angela, I'd love to." Really, I didn't care to attend because in spite of my protests against dancing, I'm no longer a very religious person. At least not a one-religion person. Between the many different personalities I had, my belief set was more diverse than a public university's student body was.

"Are you going to the dance?" Mike asked, not hiding his anxiousness for me to answer. [My god - does this boy ever give up?]

_Apparently not._ John snickered, answering my rhetorical question. I should know better than to ask those, they always get answered when you have multiple people in your head. I sighed out loud.

"Oh I don't dance." he started to say something more, so I continued, "I'm planning to be out of town that day anyway." I lied easily.

I agreed to go with Angela and Jessica shopping just as the bell rang. I found myself in Biology alone again, and when the bell rang, I ran out of the room before Mike could reach my desk. He caught up to me in gym and cornered me.

"Go with me to the dance." it was stated as a demand more than a request.

"I have plans Mike."

"Cancel them."

"Look Mike. I don't know of any other way to say this, so I am just going to be blunt. I do not like you. I have never liked you. I will never like you." his eyes went downcast and I began to fear I would get a case of blubbering blond boy on my hands if I didn't fix it soon.

_That was really harsh. _(Bobby).

I decided to soften the blow, "You should ask Jessica to the dance, I am sure she'd love to go with you."

"Really?" he looked eager at the possibility and I prayed to my lucky stars that she actually would be receptive to his invite. Maybe then I could get him off my back. "Yes really. I know it."

He smiled happily to himself, combing his hand through his hair. I took pity on him and fixed his hair so that it wasn't sticking up everywhere – that look worked for Edward's bronze, full locks, but not so much for Mike's thin and short blond ones. "Go get em tiger." I fake-whispered conspiratorially.

After practice Seth invited me to the reservation to hang out with him, Jacob, and a few of their friends. I knew I had a few hours until Angela could leave for port Angeles, so I agreed.

They both laughed when I asked for directions; apparently, it was really, really easy to get to La Push – go north on Hwy 101, until I reached La Push Road. Turning left would bring me to La Push. I got embarrassed, I'm sure I was blushing furiously, but nodded my head. I went home to change, and tried to find better directions to the reservation. Unfortunately, their directions were really all I had to go by – Google Maps didn't offer me a street view or much direction finding. Dissatisfied, I closed out of the internet browser.

North on 101, I drove past two motorcycles, both looking like they'd seen better days, abandoned on the side of the rode. [Ain't that a damn shame?]

_Marie, look at those babies. I'd bet their still solid enough to fix 'em up. _(Logan)

[I'm not the greatest mechanic.]

_We are!_ Multiple voices protested, the loudest being Logan, not surprisingly, John, as nearly expected, and Erik, which I wasn't quite prepared for.

[What? You, and motorcycles?]

_Do not presume to know everything about me dear, just because you involuntarily explore my darkest nightmares. _Erik replied coldly.

[I would leave all of your memories alone if I could Erik. You damn well know that.]

_Quit being an asshole, Magnet-butt. _Logan said, effectively ending the conversation.

I got out and loaded both bikes, hoping to be able to salvage parts off of one to use on the other, and create a working machine. I threw a tarp over them, in spite of their poor condition, to keep them dry in case the weather changed quickly.

I noticed a few small drives that lead into the woods in the outlying parts of Forks and Bogachiel, and mentally noted to explore a few later for good, non-national park hiking spots.

I turned on to the La Push road, road 110, and was greeted with more woods. Lots and lots of woods. [Damn this area is really really forested.]

_It's a reservation, Marie. Did you really expect them to show as little regard for nature as white people?_ (Logan)

When the monotonous green finally broke away to reveal the little settlement of La Push, I was relieved to see Jacob and Seth right off the main road. Pulling up to the house with a small wolf figurine on the mailbox, my door was opened before I even killed the truck. I was awarded with a monstrous hug from Jacob as he pulled me bodily from the vehicle.

"Jeez Jacob, you just saw me," I checked my watch, "2 hours ago."

"Yeah but you're actually here, and I'm just showing you how happy I am about that!"

I stared at him closely, looking for some sign that he was high. [Just weird I suppose.]

_**snort**__ Yeah, keep telling yourself that Marie. That boy is falling for you hard. _(John)

I grimaced at John's remark, but Jacob broke through my revere. "Follow me to the shop, I want to show you something."

Seth and I followed him back, Seth almost vibrating with excitement, and Jacob tried to up the suspense by asking me to close my eyes before I followed him in. I complied, trying my best not to feel the age gap between us that was becoming all the more apparent. "Okay, you can open them."

Before me sat a rusty old VW rabbit, with its engine in parts and scattered. I gasped as I looked around at all the mechanic's tools Jacob had. [Perfect!] I squealed a little inside as I realized that I now had the tools at my disposal to fix the bikes.

"Wow, Jacob this is so awesome. You do mechanical work?"

"Yep. I've been a grease monkey since I could wield a wrench."

"Then I have a surprise for you." I ran back out to my truck and ripped off the tarp. He and Seth's jaws dropped as they took in the two beasts laying idly in the bed. "I was hoping you and I could fix 'em up."

"You bike?" Seth asked with the cutest puppy-dog look on his face.

"No Seth. I grabbed these bikes off the side of the road because I wanted to get even worse gas mileage by hauling the extra weight. Of course I bike. I also do some mechanics on the side, but I don't have any tools here."

We agreed to fix up both bikes, and the boys unloaded the bikes, vehemently refusing my help even though both of the bikes were heavy. We put them up in the garage.

I told them I had to leave, but agreed that we would get together soon to work on the bikes together. Just before I left, Seth invited me to a beach gathering they were having this Saturday. I told them I would think about it, and then sped back home. The phone was ringing when I walked in, and Angela told me I could come pick her up now from the local chapel.

She, Jessica, and I went to what appeared to be the only major dress shop in the little town, and they immediately started digging through the racks. After 30 minutes of watching them pour over the dress selection, which was poor at best and downright pitiful in reality, I was bored to tears.

[Oh yes, I have found something even worse than shopping with Alice. It's called shopping with someone other than Alice.] "I'm going to go look around. Want to meet in an hour or so for dinner before we head back?"

"Sure there is a little Italian dinner just a block from here. See you in an hour." Angela replied, and I was out of the store as quickly as I could.

I wandered around the little downtown area, spotting a small bookstore that looked more like a place for a tarot reading than a good novel. I wandered in, and was as disappointed in their selection as I had expected to be. I quickly left without purchasing anything and just walked, letting my feet take me where they may while I passed the time. I realized that I had ended up in a warehouse district and turned around.

"Hello girlie." the voice created shivers up my spine, and not the good kind. I recognized it and cursed myself for having allowed myself to be trapped like this. His grip immediately went to my neck and jerked me backwards against him. "Miss me?" he purred, though it sounded more sinister than ever.

"Listen you overgrown cat. I don't care what you're actually in town for, but it sure as hell better not be me." I sounded a little more angry than I actually was, but he laughed at me. That made me madder.

"Now it is. You're going to be so much fun to break." To emphasize his point, he trailed his other hand up to my chest, and grabbed me roughly. [Oh fuck you buddy, now I'm really pissed.]

_Psychological warfare, Rogue. It's the only tool you have. _Erik's voice sounded, more concern in his tone than I had ever heard before.

_Use me against him, Marie. L_ogan pleaded.

"What would Logan think of this, Victor?" I hissed, my anger stirring.

He laughed and let me go. "You don't even know the half of girlie. Run, make it worth my while."

I turned back around to face him, letting him see the anger that had built up. "Aww, are you still running away from all the things you've done wrong. Where's Jimmy?"

I watched his jovial face fall and pushed forward, knowing this was probably my only chance of getting out of this alive, "Did Jimmy finally decide you were too wild and crazy for him? Is he still better than you in every way? You couldn't even handle the full skeletal covering; you were just never good enough."

The pitch black in his eyes slowly shifted from an angry and dominant black to a saddened dark brown. He hunched back, beginning to whimper. "Jimmy knew what we all know, Victor. You are more animal than human. You always have been." His eyes suddenly changed from sad to frightened, taking on a tinge of black before he about faced and then quickly sped off into the distance. [Who knew I was that intimidating?]

I turned back around to find Edward crouched and snarling, focused beyond me in the distance. [How the hell did I not hear him pull up? Is he the reason Victor left?]

"Get into the car, Marie." Edward said in a deadpan tone, seemingly forcing his muscles to comply with his own commands.

I hopped in, but Edward was in a bit of a rage. "Distract me."

Again it was stated as a command. "From what?"

"From going back there and killing that.... man. Do you have any idea what he was thinking of, what he was capable of doing to you?"

"Actually, yes, I do. And you wouldn't find him. I'm sure Victor Creed is long gone by now."

At the mention of his full name, Edward slammed the brakes, and turned to me. Under the threatening dark glare of eyes I squirmed a little, "What?"

"You know him. How?"

"We've met. Trust me, I know more about the man than you would ever want to know. How did you find me by the way?" I thought back to what he had said.

"I got lucky. YOU, got lucky."

"Oh, I'm sure." I replied sarcastically.

"I am."

"Well then."

Edward steered the car back around to parallel park, in one quick maneuver, in front of a small Italian-looking restaurant. "You need to eat."

I remembered suddenly that I was supposed to meet Jessica and Angela for dinner, probably a long time ago. Just then they both exited the restaurant, looking around with worried expressions.

I jumped out of the vehicle. "I am so sorry, y'all. I lost track of time."

Edward had snuck up behind me, and both the girls lost themselves for a moment looking into his eyes. Angela pulled out of it first, "Oh that's okay Marie. But we already ate without you."

"I'll take Marie to dinner, if that is alright with you." Edward pitched in.

The girls agreed and Edward and I walked them back to their car before going inside. The hostess had eyes only for Edward, which stirred up a bit of jealousy in my heart. [What the fuck? I have no claim over this boy. I have outright rejected him.]

"Thank you." I said, trying to break the thick ice of tension that loomed between us.

His eyes were still a dark coal when they met mine. "You are welcome, Marie. But let's hope it isn't necessary again."

"I would have been fine without your help."

"No you wouldn't have. He was about to tear you apart."

"And how would you know that?" I was honestly curious. I knew I had been treading on thin ice, but at that point, Victor had let me go, so to the casual observer, I hadn't appeared it be in immediate danger.

"Because..." and he stopped himself.

"Oh my god." I realized, putting together what he had said before about what Victor was planning to do. [There is only one way I know of to see other people's motivations: telepathy.] I reached for his hand, but he pulled back quickly, and I left mine on the table. I mustered up the kindest smile I could. "It's okay Edward. I know what you are. You don't have to be ashamed."

His eyes flickered to mine with uncertainty and disbelief, "You couldn't possibly know what I am."

"Oh but I do."

His eyes were clinched shut, "Say it. Say it out loud." he half-whispered, half growled at me.

"You're a mutant, Edward."

At the word mutant, his eyes shot up at me and his face changed from desperate and angry to complete confusion. His eyes were wide and open, and his jaw was slightly unhinged. He stumbled over his words, "I'm a... a what?"

"A mutant Edward. And that's nothing to be ashamed of." I tried to convey understanding with my eyes, but his reaction seemed to affirm to me that he had no idea what a mutant was. [He, he's so ignorant. Small town people. I bet his dad hasn't even heard of mutants. **You are such an ignorant idiot.]**

His eyes snapped up, his lips curled into a snarl. [Oh. My. God. He heard that. **You can hear me, right?** This was too good to be true. He might be able to help me.]

He still looked slightly shocked, but nodded his head.

[**How good are you? Can you, wait, have you been able to see in my head this whole time?**]

He shook his head mutely, whispering, "I only get bits and pieces from you."

My excitement reeled back in quickly. He was only sixteen, of course he couldn't help. Xavier had been practicing for years. Xavier had been a level 4 mutant. And, of course, Xavier was dead. I sighed, "Your control isn't that good is it? Can you even block it out?"

He shook his head, now looking more confused than ever. "How do you..."

He couldn't finish his statement, but I knew what he was asking. "I was friends with someone who had your abilities before Edward. I know control can be difficult to cultivate, but I'll help you in any way that I can."

_+_+_+_+_+_


	20. 20: Player piano, play the guitar

A/N:This is almost two chapters in one. Sorry for the length, but I wanted to get it all out there to move us forward. I'm cutting back to just Rogue's POV unless it really adds or is necessary for you to see it from a Cullen POV. I think it's going to make this flow a little better, and I'd rather you see the Cullen reactions as they become apparent to Rogue.

In an urgency to publish chapters on time, I haven't had this chapter beta'd.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Last Time:

_"Oh my god." I realized, putting together what he had said before about what Victor was planning to do. [There is only one way I know of to see other people's motivations: telepathy.] I reached for his hand, but he pulled back quickly, and I left mine on the table. I mustered up the kindest smile I could. "It's okay Edward. I know what you are. You don't have to be ashamed."_

_His eyes flickered to mine with uncertainty and disbelief, "You couldn't possibly know what I am."_

_"Oh but I do."_

_His eyes were clinched shut, "Say it. Say it out loud." he half-whispered, half growled at me._

_"You're a mutant, Edward."_

_+_+_+_+_+_

Edward was more startled by this revelation than I was hoping for. obviously 'mutant' was not a word being discussed in backwoods Alaska or Washington. Maybe it was a Pacific Northwest thing, but then again, there was the protest in Seattle. I tried to talk to him during my dinner about techniques for telepaths that I knew of, but he was so still and quiet it was like I was at a table with a corpse that couldn't hear me.

"Meditation works best. It's here most telepaths start; it allows you to focus on your own thoughts and learn the tenor of your thoughts, so as to distinguish them from other people's."

I looked at Edward, but he was still staring ahead, not even seeing me. I sighed, loudly, and his eyes finally snapped back into focus. "I apologize Marie. I was lost in my own thoughts for a minute."

"It's okay Edward. I understand. Why don't we go on a head and go?" I signaled to my half-empty plate. "I'm done, besides, the food was a little greasy and overcooked anyway."

He nodded and signaled the waitress over. We left quickly, and I felt only a little guilty when spiteful happiness shot through me at seeing Edward stiffed the waitress. Probably in response to her thought, now that I considered it.

The drive home started quietly, too quiet for my tastes. I quickly flipped on his radio only to find that he was listening to Debussey. [Thank god it wasn't true 'Classical' music] I thought, as I amped up the volume.

He stared at me, instead of road, with questioning eyes. "Edward, look at the damn road before you get us both killed please." I told him in a stern tone. It could have been taken as sarcasm, but thankfully, he did as I asked.

"You like Debussey?"

"He's alright." my voice softened involuntarily, "My mom was a big fan."

His hand reached for mine, and I held back from my instinct to draw away. If he was a mutant, than even if I did re-manifest, it wouldn't kill him immediately. Mutants had always lasted longer when I touched them, something Jean hadn't been able to figure out the reason behind before she died the first time. We held hands the whole way home.

That night I slept peacefully, dreaming my own dreams, of Edward and I in a meadow I'd never seen, both of us glittering in the sunlight.

---

Thursday after my truck roared into the parking lot, Jessica nearly bit my head off in her eagerness to question me about Edward and I's 'date'.

"Oh my God, An-NA! You went on a date with Edward Cullen. You have to spill the details, girl. I want to know everything!"She reached for me to grasp my arm, but I deftly avoided her claws like they were poison. She looked offended and confused.

I rolled my eyes, but tried to front a smile. She was too obvious. Had she forgotten that she was the same one warning me off him not a week ago? "It wasn't a date, Jess-ICA." I mocked her faked enthusiasm to a T, but I don't think she picked up on it. "Besides, 'he isn't interested in my Southern white-trash ass', right?"

She looked at me wide-eyed, and I saw Emmett laughing across the parking lot. Curious, could he hear me all the way over there? Rosalie elbowed him and he quieted down. I returned my eyes to Jessica, who was still gap-mouthed like a fish trying to come up with a retort. I just snorted, "Look, I went with you and Angela, because I like Angela. I don't like you Jessica. I never pretended, and will never pretend, to like someone with so little self respect that she follows the biggest bitch in school to try to feel important."

I walked off, leaving Jessica to wonder what the hell just happened. [**How'd you like that one, Edward? Were you listening?**] I spared a glance at his family, all gathered around his car getting their bags together at a leisurely pace. He caught my eye and gave me a discrete nod. I mentally projected my laughter, and ran to class.

Lunch came, and as i entered the lunchroom, I saw Angela and Ben were sitting with Lauren, Mike and Jessica, and decided to avoid that table, not wanting a repeat of yesterday's conflict. I sent a sad smile to Angela, who had caught my eye, as I made my way to the Cullen's table, where a seat was open next to Edward. Rosalie looked up from her make-out festival with Emmett to give me a sneer, "Did we say you could sit down?"

"It's a free country. I wasn't aware I needed to ask. But if you insist..." I dragged it out, giving Edward a pouty face, "Oh Eddie, dear. Won't you please let me sit with you?" I was barely containing my laughter, and when Edward stood up and made a grand gesture of pulling out my chair for me I burst into laughter. The mirth quickly spread around the table. Emmett pulled out of it first, "Oh Eddie, dear, won't you please wipe my ass for me?"

Edward chucked his blackened but still undercooked roll at Emmett's face, nailing him on the nose. The poor excuse for bread broke into piece, getting bits of undercooked dough on Emmett's nose and chin. I laughed harder. Even Rosalie gave up the mean girl vibe and laughed, gently wiping the food off his face with a napkin.

"Aren't you going to eat, Marie?" Alice asked. "Aren't you?" I replied, knowing they were just as likely as me to eat the sorry excuse for food that was produced in this cafeteria. She looked disgusted at the food, "No."

I picked up an overcook spaghetti noodle, turning it my hands as I admired its discoloration from cooked to burnt, fiddling with it for lack of any other entertainment. Emmett and Rosalie were back in their own world, as were Jasper and Alice. It left Edward and I sitting next to one another awkwardly, neither one eating nor talking. [**God I wish the gym was open. No offense Edward, but if this is what you do everyday for lunch, it's hella boring.**]

He laughed at my comment quietly, but Jasper pulled out of each Alice's face long enough to give him an odd look. "She knows." he rest of the family was now at full attention, Alice having a knowing smile on her face while the rest of them looked curious. Well, if you'd call murderously angry an extreme shade of curiosity, in Rosalie's case. "You _told_ her! Edward, what were you thinking?" She harshly whispered. Edward started to respond, but I clamped my hand over his, signaling I'd handle it.

"Rose, I understand your concern. But I'm no more interested in outing your brother for his abilities than I am in world domination. His secret is safe with me. And he didn't tell me - I figured it out." She gave me a hard look, a disbelieving look. "How?"

"Yesterday, I ran into an old acquaintance of mine. Thankfully, Edward was there to scare him away, though..." I looked at Edward closely, trying to discern what had scared Victor, "I'm not entirely sure if it was him or me that scared the guy away. Regardless, I knew the only way Edward could have known what was going on was if he could see what was going on the guy's mind. I've known a few telepaths, so the behavior and verbage he was using was very familiar."

"You've known other people like Edward?" Jasper asked cautiously.

"Yes, but Jasper, for their protection and your own, I'm not going to answer questions about that." I added a tone of finality to that, then continued, "Edward's fortunate in some ways that his ability is so slight. If he was stronger, he would be sought out by people with less than honest intentions."

Emmett scoffed, "Dude, she totally just dissed you."

I clasped Edward's hand a little tighter, though it didn't give way to my strength. Odd. "No, not at all. Edward's ability can develop if he trains with it. I've offered to help him, but it is up to him if he wants to progress further. Besides, the only strong telepaths I know are psychopaths. I think the power fucks with their personality."

"Are you implying I'm going to have a psychopathic little brother?" Emmett said, but his tone was slightly concerned underneath the mirth, so I wanted to respond honestly. Edward, though beat me to it, "No Emmett. No more than usual." He said it in a flat tone that made Emmett start laughing again, loudly. This was the third round of ruckus from the usually silent and still Cullen table, and I could see out of the corner of my eye that almost everyone was discretely staring at us. Time to make my exit. [**Want to walk with me to Biology? We could talk...**]

Edward stood before I did, pulling my chair out for me, "Let's go." He offered his hand, which I declined in favor of my book bag. He schooled his face to not show disappointment, but I had caught a glimpse. [**It's too fast, Edward. Give me some time, okay? I'm still no good for you, you know.**]

He gave me a scowling look of disagreement, but consented to letting me keep my hands to myself. Biology was boring, per usual, though Edward being there helped assuage the boredom. I started off a note, figuring the least I could do to try to build this friendship, and maybe more, was open a line of communication.

_Maybe he can develop his talents enough to help you. _Erik pointed out, again. We'd all had this discussion last night in my head, and the greater half of my voice decided Edward was probably a safe person to trust. And damn it, I needed the help too badly to be pushing him away.

I wrote quickly, _There is a thing at the beach this Saturday. Want to go?_

He read and responded quickly, _Which beach?_

**[Why would that be important?**] I asked him, but he shook his head and gestured to the note. _La Push. Seth, from the fight club, invited me._

He glanced at my response, and his face fell just a little. _I can't. My family isn't welcome anywhere within the reservation boundaries._

Anger seeped into my thoughts.[**And why is that, exactly?**] He shook his head, but I repeated the question. He refused to answer, so we spent the rest of the period in silence. Just before the bell rang, I put my hand on his arm to keep him from leaving, "You know, I will figure out one day why they don't like you."

"I wish you wouldn't."

"And when I do, it won't change my opinion of you." I continued like I hadn't been interrupted.

"You can't know that."

"Well, here's to doubting my friendship and its sincerity Edward." I fake-toasted my books towards him, and left.

_Give the kid a break, Roguey. He's coming to terms with the fact that he's a mutant. He probably looked it up last night and got freaked out. _(John)

[Oh my god. Is that it? Do they hate him because he's a mutant?]

_Sam was at that rally. _(Jubilee)

_Yes, but was he there as a protester, or counter protester?_ (Erik)

[There is no way to know for sure, you guys.]

The day ended peacefully enough, and since there was no practice, I walked out to the parking lot quickly. Mike Newton was hanging out by my truck, and I contemplated the multitude of ways I could kick his ass while I stalked towards him. "Hiya Marie." He said jovially.

"Hello Michael." I replied snarkily. He didn't notice.

"There's a thing at the beach this Saturday. I was wondering if you'd like to come with me, and I mean, us?"

I raised an eyebrow at his screw-up. "Did you ask Jessica to the dance yet?"

His eyes lit up a little, "Yes, oh thanks for the heads up by the way. I had no idea she was interested in going with me. Too bad you couldn't make it. So, Saturday."

I sighed at my failed attempt. "Sorry, Mike, but I'm doing something with the guys from La Push."

"Actually, the party is at the beach there."

"Oh, well, I guess I'll see you there then."

He looked a little deflated and confused, so I clarified, "I already told Jacob and Seth I'd meet them there."

"The guys from the Rez?"

"Yes."

"Are you...." he trailed off, like he wasn't sure he wanted to ask. I certainly didn't want him to, so instead I unlocked my truck.

"Well, thanks anyway Mike. I'm sure you should go find Jessica." I told him, climbing in.

"Oh right, well, later." He was flummoxed, but he stumbled away like the good little dog he was, sniffing out Jessica among our peers. I started my truck with a roar, but before I shifted to leave, a knock came to my window. It was Alice.

"Marie, I'd love it if you came by after school today. We could hang out! Our parents, Rosalie, and Emmett will be gone, so it'll just be the four of us."

"Sure Alice. Let me run home first and get dinner started for Charlie though."

"Great!" she danced back to her family's car, and I pulled away.

I threw together a quick, slow cooking meal that should be ready to eat when Charlie got home in 2 hours. I left a short note explaining I'd be at the Cullen's, dinner was ready, and not to wait up if he could help it, and left.

After almost missing the small break in the treeline that signaled their driveway, I finally arrived at the Cullen's. The beautiful, white Victorian mansion was a comforting sight. It looked loved, with a beautiful garden I hadn't noticed on the previous visit out to the side yard. Japanese maple trees that surrounded the little garden were changing their colors, and looked astoundingly beautiful. I walked over to the garden, looking in but not wandering through. Someone was a an avid gardener, I figured, looking at the care and love that had been poured into the Earth here. I was reminded of Storm. It left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth, and I went to the front door, turning my back on the beauty.

"Come on in, Marie!" Alice shouted from inside, just before I knocked.

Edward sat behind the keys of the monstrosity of a modern piano that was in the great room, facing away from me as I entered. He was playing 'Maple Leaf Rag', and oblivious to my presence. He was playing all wrong. [Jesus this guy has no soul.]

I coughed, alerting him to my presence. He immediately stopped. "Sound like a player piano much?" He looked at me shocked, but his eyes quickly narrowed as he caught on. [Oops.]

I sat next to him on the bench and he stiffened immediately, obviously holding himself back from saying something. I pretended not to notice, sliding my covered fingers gently across the plastic keys, not exerting enough pressure to make a sound. "Do you mind?" I asked politely.

"you play?" He asked, looking confused.

I smirked as I bumped hips with him, trying to move him across the bench so that I could sit in the middle. He was hard as a rock though and didn't budge. [Ouch, that's gonna leave a bruise.] "Why don't you let me play, and you can decide for yourself?"

He begrudgingly got up, and, gloved hands and all, I launched into the same piece. Unlike his playing, I added crescendos and decrescendos, making the piano sing the hidden melody line in the piece and adding emphasis as the piece progressed. I stretched out certain parts, altering the tempo as though it was being sung instead of played, and even improvised part of it near the end. I played it as true as I could to how I believed it was originally played.

When I finished, I gleamed back at him, saucily adding, "Whatdja think, sugah?"

"That was nice, but it wasn't Scott Joplin's piece."

"And what makes you so sure?"

"I just know."

"You know as well as anyone else does that it was recorded on a player piano. Those devices couldn't record all the intricacies of his work." I argued, getting agitated.

"Then one should play the piece as true to the form that was recorded as possible. It is an insult to try to impose your own creative devices to a piece that it didn't originally have."

I stood up, walking up to where he was standing on the other side of the piano like a predator to a prey, dazzling him with a sway in my hips and a sneaky grin in my eyes. [Oh this is fun] I realized, watching his eyes dilate as he stared at my hips. I stopped just ahead of him, leaning forward to whisper next to his ear. He was frozen in place, not even breathing.

"Tell you what, Darlin'. A poor, freed negro wrote that song. I can't tell you what it must have sounded like, or felt like to watch the freedom his fingers found in those keys, but I can guarantee you that when he played it, he played it with more heart and soul than either of us together could push into it." my voice escalated to a lecturing, condescending tone, "Why don't you go get yourself some soul and try playin' it again when you got it. Cause that song was not written to be some rich white boy's funeral-worthy recital piece - it was a celebration of life and freedom." I walked away from him as I spoke, and gently shut the lid on the keys, "And that's exactly how I played it."

He looked like I had slapped him in the face. [Score one for the Rogue.] I cheered myself on, and walked away, leaving him alone with his piano.

"Marie! We're up here." Alice called from the upstairs. [Perfect timing.]

I wandered up the stairs, but last time I was here, I didn't go much further than the great room, so I was a little lost, staring at a hall of doorways. I heard music playing, and wandered to the doorway that I heard it from. Alice was lounging in Jasper's lap while they stared at a computer. They had a really nice, wide-screen high definition monitor and were listening to blues music from what it sounded like. It sounded really familiar, but I couldn't place it.

Their room was well-decorated, like the rest of the house. They had a large bed, with what looked like a walk-in closet and multiple book shelves filled with books on fashion and war. I chuckled at the obvious difference in their tastes. Old relics decorated their walls - a few pictures, but mostly objects. Ancient guns and out-of-date fashion items. Still, the room's colors were a blend of pink and brown that wasn't too feminine, and reflected them both perfectly. I knocked lightly before I stepped into the room. "Hey y'all. What's up?"

"Just listening to a blues contest from Chicago a couple years ago that I downloaded a few weeks ago. It got great reviews online."

[Uh oh.] I steeled myself, that would be too coincidental. [It can't be.] "I didn't know you had the blues, Jasper." I tried to sound casual, but my voice was weak even to my own ears. I tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling building up in my heart, knowing Jasper would feel it soon, if he hadn't already. Jasper's eyes met mine, with question in their expression, but I ignored him, leaning on the door frame watching them and listening closely. The finger picking blues song, combined with the background noises, seemed like nails on a coffin as they cemented the situation I had found myself in. I inhaled deeply and let out a hard sigh, resigning myself to the situation at hand. If they found out, they found out. There was no avoiding it now.

"Are you okay, Marie?" Jasper asked, concerned.

The singer started speaking, and instead of answering his question, I closed my eyes. The microphone had squeaked, so my former self repeated herself. My voice was loud and clear that time, and heavily accented. "Hello Y'all." I said. "Mah name's Rogue, and Ah'm gonna sing ya a sad little tune that was written bah Evanescence called 'Mah Immortal'. Yah could say this one goes out ta the ones Ah loved."

I turned from the room to leave, but Edward stopped me at the door. "Hey, I was just about to head home."

"But you just got here, Marie!" Alice protested. I heard the music shut off, and they got up, Jasper's arms wrapping lovingly around Alice's waist as they both awaited my response. "I, uh, I'm sorry. I just realized I didn't leave a note for Charlie and he'll be home soon." I lied, but I wanted to get out of there.

Alice gave me a look that indicated she knew I was lying, but instead of calling me on it, "Well, why don't we call him now?" She whipped out a house phone and dialed before I could retort. She handed the ringing phone to me, smirking.

"Hello, Forks Police Department." Charlie's gruff voice answered.

"Hey Uncle Charlie."

"Hey Marie. Is there something wrong?"

"No I just..." [Uhh] This was almost more uncomfortable than having to sit through the damn video. "I wanted to make sure you were okay for dinner. I fixed you something, but I won't be home when you get there."

"Yup, sure thing Kiddo. You at the reservation again?"

"No, I'm at the Cullen's house."

"Well, be sure to tell the good Doctor I said hello."

"Will do."

"Love you kid, but if that's all, I should get back to work."

"Yeah, sorry Uncle Charlie."

"Next time, just leave a note." I winced.

"Love you too. Bye."

We hung up, and Alice had a superior look on her face as she took back the phone. Edward gently guided me back into the room, and we sat on the couple's bed while Alice and Jasper resumed their position. "We were just listening to that blues concert I downloaded, Edward." Jasper said.

"Is it good?" Edward asked with innocent curiosity.

"Yeah, so far. I haven't finished it though. I can't wait until the video finishes downloading." [They videotaped it. **They fucking videotaped it?**] I didn't even realize I had projected my thoughts until Edward turned me to face him. "Marie?" He asked, not clarifying what exactly he was asking. I shook my head, still scrambling for a way out of this increasingly horrible scenario, but Jasper was hitting the play button. [Please please don't recognize my voice.] No one said anything, and I listened tensely to my own performance.

_I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all these other fears  
And when you had to leave  
I wish that you could just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone_

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When I cried you'd wiped away all of my tears  
When I'd scream you'd fight away all of my fears  
And you held my hand through so many years  
But I have stolen  
All of you_

_I used to captivate you  
By my resonating life  
Now I'm bound to live this the life you've left behind  
Your face it haunts  
My once pleasant dreams  
Your voice it chased away  
All the sanity in me_

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though you're still with me  
I've been alone all along_

Tears threatened to fall from my face as I heard the song finish. I could hear my voice on the recording cracking towards the end. I subtly tried to wipe my eyes, but a cold hand beat me to it. I flinched back instinctively from the touch, but Edward persisted. "Marie?" He softly questioned.

I pulled myself together, before nodding and replying. "Yeah?"

"Would you like to talk about it?"

I shook my head fervently no, and wished he meant more than just why I was crying. I was a nervous wreck. They were going to know. As soon as they watched the video, I didn't even have my freakin' white stripe anymore, and the three or four odd years since then hadn't aged me much. He sighed but acquiesced my desires. [Not for long. Once they get the video...]

_So? You were a homeless kid, abandoned by a society that didn't want anything to do with a mutant orphan. You have nothing to be ashamed of - hell, Rie, you were doing way better than I was doing at that point. _John pointed out.

_You should be proud of how well you overcame your own circumstances. _(Erik)

[For a little while, Erik.] I replied bitterly. Chicago had been a bad turning point in my journey. Alice and Jasper were engaged in one another, pretending to ignore Edward and I's exchange, though I knew Jasper probably couldn't help but feel my conflicting emotions. I had done a three piece set, and I was dreading the next two songs.

"The resemblance between your voice and hers is remarkable, Marie." Edward said. [Is he trying to be nice? Maybe he really doesn't know.]

"Yeah, I guess it does, doesn't it?" I struggled to filter all the accent from my voice.

"Have you heard this before?" Alice asked.

"Yeah actually, I have." They waited for me to explain, but I just shrugged my shoulders. I wasn't about to take the bait.

Just then , a little ding from the computer sounded. "Ooo, we can watch the video now!" Alice proclaimed with excitement. [Shit shit shit.] I had been hoping that at least the video wouldn't be finished while I was here.

"Oh let's don't. I'm sure the sound is much worse on the video version. You know, it usually is."

"No the video recording is DVD quality." Jasper countered. [So much for being saved by the grainy video.] I mocked in my head.

They turned it on, flipping to the chapter titled, 'Performance 5 - Rogue'. The video played, and we all watched in fast forward as my fourteen year old self walked up to the stage, wearing purple tie-dyed bell bottoms with a flowing, black skirt over them and a tight, bell sleeved black shirt, with a purple corset over it. You could see the freaking black and red details in the stitching! I was so screwed. My hair looked the same as it does now, no white stripe, but it was a little longer. It was in tight, skinny chunks that looked like dreadlocks from afar, but again, the detail in this DVD picked up the pattern of braiding. I was wearing fingerless gloves. The guitar, Shelly, was draped casually over my lap as I settled into the stool.

The video paused in the middle of the fast forward, and suddenly three pairs of eyes were on me. I tuned back out of the video reluctantly, and noted the surprise on everyone's face but Alice's.

"Marie?"

"You know Edward. Simply stating my name like a question isn't actually asking a question." I was annoyed by his repeating of my freaking name in that tone.

He furrowed his brow, but Alice decided to jump over the issue of confirming that the littler me was in fact me and jumped out of Jasper's lap vibrating with excitement. "Oh my god, Marie. You sounded sooo good. You've got such talent! Why didn't you tell us you played?"

I was slightly baffled by her statement. "Umm. I guess cause I don't play anymore. That was the last night I played; I haven't had a guitar in years." I rambled slightly, blushing hard at her compliment and the embarrassment of being found out. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad if they didn't pick up my being homeless. They finished fast-forwarding and hit play.

"This next song holds more truth than Ah care ta admit right now. Ah think we can all identify with the bad days, weeks, and months of one another's lived, but sometimes, the bad days seem never ending and it's like we musta been born under a bad sign. So this song is to mah fellow sufferers, those of ya who know what it means in this day and age to be born different, and unequal."

__

Born under a bad sign  
I been down since I begin to crawl  
If it wasn't for bad luck,  
I wouldn't have no luck at all

Hard luck and trouble is my only friend  
I been on my own too long to admit  
Born under a bad sign  
I been down since I begin to crawl  
If it wasn't for bad luck,  
I wouldn't have no luck at all

I can't focus to read, haven't the patience to write  
My whole life right now is one big fight  
Born under a bad sign  
I been down since I begin to crawl  
If it wasn't for bad luck,  
I wouldn't have no luck at all

I ain't lyin'  
If it wasn't for bad luck  
I wouldn't have no kind-a luck  
If it wasn't for real bad luck,  
I wouldn't have no luck at all

Beer and cigarettes is all I crave  
But a loaded shotgun is  
gonna carry me to my grave  
Born under a bad sign  
I been down since I begin to crawl  
If it wasn't for bad luck,  
I wouldn't have no luck at all

Yeah, my bad luck boy  
Been havin' bad luck all of my days, yes

[Don' ask me, don't ask me.] I prayed silently, but they didn't even stop the video, so I was safe for now. The me on the video started speaking again. I remembered just before she spoke what I had said. I knew then that my traveling days were about to be front and center, and turned away from the figure to bury my eyes in Edward's sleeve. His arm came up around my waist and held me gently.

"Mah bad luck ain't just limited to mah situation, but seems ta crop up everywhere. It was a rough ride out here ta come play for y'all, and let me take just a minute ta explain why that was. When ya hop a train, ya gotta be real careful." Old-me was slowly picking out a background beat while she talked.

"Ya see, train yard folks don't much appreciate the traveling man, or woman in mah case, and if they catch ya in their yard, they as likely ta beat ya before throwin' ya out as they are ta call the damn cops. So when the Chicago Arrow pulled into the station here off the Pennsylvania Wabash railway in the middle of the day, Ah wisely stayed hunkered down in mah little rail car. Ah'd recommend ya take that train one day; the country it crosses is beautiful." Her picking took on a somber, minor flair.

"It was night when ah wandered out from under her carriage, and Ah was working mah way out of the yard when ah was caught. He was bigger than Ah, and by the looks of what he was wearin', ah'm as likely to believe he wasn't anymore a worker than ah was." She swallowed hard.

"Now, usually, we travelers stick together, helping each other out and workin' together to get ta where we're going. But occasionally, ya come across someone that doesn't follow the program. This guy obviously had his own program in mind. And Ah was in his sights for the lead role."

The picking went back to a major chord, "But ah was saved that night by two of the most beautiful souls ah've ever met. They saved meh that night from that lost soul, though he sadly found himself on the wrong end of a heavy train's wheels later that night, and Ah dedicate this song to ya. Peter and Charlotte, wherever ya find yourself wandering now, this is ta you." Edward had tensed up completely under my head, but I kept myself buried in his arm anyway. The difference was only slight; he was really uncomfortable either way.

_People living their lives for you on TV  
They say they're better than you and you agree  
He says "Hold my calls for me I must go"  
Says "Come here boys, there ain't nothing for free"_

_ Another doctor's bill, a lawyer's bill  
Another cute cheap thrill  
You know you love him if you put in your will_

_ Who will save your soul when it comes to the end, now  
Who will save your soul after all the lies that you told, boy  
Who will save your soul if you won't save your own?_

_ We try to hustle them, try to bustle them, try to cuss them  
The cops want someone to bust down on Orleans Avenue  
Another day, another dollar, another war, another tower  
Went up where us homeless had our homes_

_ So we pray to as many different God's as there are flowers  
But we call religion our friend  
We're so worried about saving our souls  
Afraid that God will take His toll  
That we forget to begin_

_ I cannot save your soul when it comes to the end of time  
Cannot save your soul after all the lies that you told, boy  
Cannot save your soul if you won't save your own_

_ Some are walking, some are talking, some are stalking their kill  
You got social security, but that don't pay your bills_

_ There are addictions to feed and there are mouths to pay  
So you bargain with the Devil, say you're OK for today,_

_ You say that you love them, take their money and run  
Say it's been swell, sweetheart, but it was just one of those things  
Those flings, those strings you've got to cut,  
So get out on the streets, girls, and bust you butts._

_ Who will save my soul when it comes to the end of my life  
Who will save my soul after all those lives that I stole, boy  
Who will save my soul since I can't save my own?_

At the end of the song, I waited tensely. Jasper was the first question, "Where did you meet Peter and Charlotte?" His question suprised me a little. I certainly wasn't expecting him to question about some random person I had run into.

"Um, the train station, like I said."

"No I mean..." He stalled, "Can you describe them?"

"Oh well, Peter had the strangest sense of humor. He was extremely cocky, and Charlotte would just go along with it. They were such a cute pair. At the time I envied their bond; they were obviously close, and could predict each other's moves."

Jasper's face was a little frustrated, "What did they _look_ like?"

[He didn't need to get snarky]. "Uhh, let's see. Charlotte had the whitest blond hair, and was about my height and build at the time. She was obviously older than me - gosh it would be hard to pin an age on her, but probably mid twenties. She was so pale, well, they both were, but on her it was especially apparent. I think she was albino..." I paused, thinking about Peter instead, "Peter was a good bit taller, decently built though. He had a mop of dark brown hair on his head that looked in desperate need of a good trim and comb; it was about as long as yours, Jasper. He looked older than her, but couldn't have been over thirty. No wrinkles or gray hairs, you know? Oh, and they had the prettiest eyes - a deep, dark red color."

I contemplated the differences between their eyes and Remy's eyes. His were much more vibrant and light; they practically glowed with his power. And his schlera was black instead of white. "Why do you ask Jasper? You know them?"

I looked up. Jasper was awed, and Edward's face was pained. Alice was, well, being Alice. She was staring at the paused video, probably critiquing my homeless Chic. I decided to continue when Jasper didn't speak, wanting to fill the awkward silence.

"Funniest pair really. I had fallen, when um, the guy attacked me. I was bleeding pretty badly from a scrape on my arm. Charlotte went to touch me, but Peter hissed at her, like a freakin' cat or something." I sighed. He had probably saved her life. "After he pulled her away and whispered in her ear, he came over and helped me up. He helped me wrap up the cut pretty quickly, and they gave me a ride. Come to think of it, I never figured out why they were in that yard... Whatever, they had impeccable timing."

Finally, Edward pulled out his stupor, but Alice called his name cautiously, "Edward..." whatever he was going to say, he kept to himself, instead hugging me tightly. "I'm glad you made it out of there unharmed."

Jasper gave me a curious look, "You weren't afraid of them?"

"No of course not. Like I said they were beautiful people, inside and out. Anyone that helps a complete stranger out of a situation like that, especially when... I mean the guy was way bigger than Peter. I don't know how Peter was able to take him down, except that he must have been drunk. The guy was well over 6 foot and had at least 50 pounds on him."

Everyone came to an awkward silence, and Alice broke it after a few minutes, hitting the play button again. We listened to the rest of the concert in piece. I didn't win the contest that night. It was shortly after that that I sold Shelly - she was too hard to keep up with. [Easy come, easy go.]

"So what happened to bring you to that concert?" Edward asked tentatively, expecting me to refuse to answer. I knew they needed some kind of explanation. I decided to go with a highly edited version of the truth.

"After my parents died, I fled Mississippi on foot. I traveled for about 8 months before I ended up in a school in New York. The concert in Chicago was about halfway through that trek."

"So you were homeless?" He asked, with what I read as disgust in his voice. I shifted out of his loose grasp.

"Yeah, I was homeless. You have a problem with that; you can shove it where the sun don't shine. I did the best I could given the situation." I defended.

"No, I didn't mean... I wasn't disgusted at you, Marie. But why didn't you go into the foster care system? Why did you run away?"

[**Because I was a mutant Edward. I don't know how you ended up in a position to be adopted by Carlisle and Esme, much less why they did it, but mutant children in foster care... it's like a death sentence. Homes for mutant children and dreadful places, and if your mutation is liable to be of any use to the government, you're shipped off to a facility where they pick you apart like a lab rat and then brainwash you to be the perfect, brain dead soldier.**] Out loud for Alice and Jasper's sake, I replied, "Because it was the only option that made sense at the time. I didn't want to be in foster care."

Edward's face still held disbelief, but I ignored him. He could take it or leave it; I didn't care. Well, I did, but I wasn't going to show that his lack of faith and trust in me hurt. It was now pretty late, so I stood to leave. "Well, that was... interesting, kids. I'm gonna go."

"Aww, Marie! Won't you stay the night?" Alice cried.

"It's a school night, Alice. I'm sure my uncle would take issue with that, and if he didn't, your parents would. I've got homework to get to anyway."

She pouted, and I couldn't help but conceded a little, "Look, I have practice tomorrow night and this beach thing Saturday that apparently y'all can't attend. But we could meet up Sunday?" her eyes went out of focus a little, but after a pause, she answered, "I can see I won't be able to convince you otherwise. Sunday it is."

I started to leave the room, but stopped, turning back around, "Alice? I really wish you could come tomorrow." She nodded, and I left. On the drive home, I realized that maybe them knowing wasn't a bad thing. Maybe, just maybe, I could feel a little relief in knowing that at least someone at the school understood me, just a little bit. [Maybe.]

_Hope is an exercise in futility. _(Erik)

[Maybe not.]


	21. 21: A dog fight

A/N: Wow, what's this? An update? Darn, and here I thought I was reaching the point of no return on updates. *hides behind a wall as tomatoes are tossed at the stage*. Sorry peeps, I suck, and there are no excuses. Here's a new chappy!

Summary: Edward x Rogue. AU both worlds. Rogue moves to Forks to escape bad blood after she takes the cure in X3.

Without her powers, but still struggling with additional personalities that her powers had given her, she tries to blend in with the seemingly normal human world of small town America.

She has made friends with Edward, Alice, and Jasper, and recognizes Jasper from Logan's Civil War memories. She suspects Jasper is empathic and knows that Edward is telepathic.

Marie has just revealed to her three friends that she spent a period of her youth homeless.

[Person's thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

**_Projected thoughts from OC_**

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

Previously:

_"Aww, Marie! Won't you stay the night?" Alice cried._

_"It's a school night, Alice. I'm sure my uncle would take issue with that, and if he didn't, your parents would. I've got homework to get to anyway."_

_She pouted, and I couldn't help but conceded a little, "Look, Ah have practice tomorrow night and this beach thing Saturday that apparently y'all can't attend. But we could meet up Sunday?" her eyes went out of focus a little, but after a pause, she answered, "I can see I won't be able to convince you otherwise. Sunday it is."_

_I started to leave the room, but stopped, turning back around, "Alice? Ah really do wish you could come tomorrow." She nodded, and I left. On the drive home, I realized that maybe them knowing wasn't a bad thing. Maybe, just maybe, I could feel a little relief in knowing that at least someone at the school understood me, just a little bit. [Maybe.]_

Hope is an exercise in futility_. (Erik)_

_[Maybe not.]_

RPOV

Friday was uneventful, though several students were chit chatting about the big beach trip all day. Alice tried to talk me into hanging out Friday night, but I resisted, knowing I would see her Sunday after morning service with Angela. I felt like I was becoming a social butterfly – at the mansion, I was pretty much a shut in, only going on big trips. Really, the only other kids I talked with regularly were Bobby and John, and even then, they were guys.

Figuring that Alice would dictate Sunday night's activities a little too strictly if I didn't interfere, I went by the video rental shop and picked out one of my favorites, texting her to ask her if she'd prefer to see anything. She left it up to me. I hoped at least someone else would have my sense of humor and taste, but even if they didn't, I'd get to laugh at Edward's face throughout the movie.

I was already well awake and ready by the time the sun rose on Saturday. My behavior towards Edward seemed to have seeped in.

_Such a shame. He's so cute_ (Jubilee)

The beach gathering wasn't exactly something I was looking forward to, but I knew that this would be my best chance to challenge Sam on his behavior and attempted lies. If nothing else, it is possible I could get a better answer out of someone else on the reservation.

The burgers and hot dogs were inhaled as fast as they came off the grill, and while Mike, and Eric, and Tyler, kept near me the entire afternoon, I still found myself having fun. Someone had brought a guitar, and after listening to poorly played power chords for 30 minutes while Eric tried to impress the girls, I decided to show him how it was really done.

"Mind if I give it a try?" I put an innocent look on my face, knowing I would blow him out of the water, but too eager to get him to stop making a racket to care about how embarrassed and hurt he would be after.

He looked at me warily, "You play?"

"A little." _Yeah, and Stevie Wonder only plays a little piano._ (John)

He handed over his acoustic. It wasn't top of the line, but the strings weren't covered in dirt and grime, and the neck was still stiff and didn't rattle. I quickly tuned it, and started on an older song, Time of My Life. I didn't expect anyone to recognize it – Green Day was more known for their newer album than any of their older stuff – but I liked this one. It startled me when a deep bass voice started singing the lyrics for me, but I hid it well, and didn't even miss a beat in strumming.

When I finished I turned behind me to see who had been singing backup and was surprised to see Jacob, who was smiling sheepishly.

I strummed a few chords quietly, thinking of something else to play. Eric's eager stare intensified, and he finally spoke up. "Can you show me how to play that?" I eyed the new cup in his hand warily, but he was insistent, so I relented.

I spent the next 30 minutes explaining the chord progression of the relatively simple song. Getting Eric to strum correctly – the correct pattern of upstrokes and down strokes – was downright painful. [He's got to be exaggerating how bad he is. Why would he have a guitar if he can't play?]

_Because he is down-playing his skills. Marie he's been staring at your tits instead of your hands each time you show him a new chord. That's why it's taking him so many times to get it down._ (John)

_I'm sure the jungle juice mixture that he keeps drinking off of isn't helping the coordination issues any._ (Bobby joked)

Finally, Eric was able to eek out a few rhythmically challenged bars. He was trying to get me to show him more, but then several girls reappeared and he happily strummed away, attempting to show off. What he got for his exaggerated motions was a liquor-covered guitar, as his hand tipped half the contents of his red Solo cup onto the body of his guitar. He pulled off a pouty look, and the girls around him seemed to fall for it. My job here was done.

Darrel and Seth were wrestling in the sand, and a small group had formed a makeshift ring around them. Darrel quickly beat Seth, but then promptly lost to Sam. It seemed the impromptu fight club meet had been stalled. No one wanted to challenge Sam, but I saw this as the perfect opportunity for me to settle our argument.

"I'll take him.'

Sam turned to face me quickly. "No, Marie."

"Why not Sam? Afraid to fight a girl? Or afraid to lose?"

People hooted and hollered at this, taunting him to fight me, and he acquiesced. I leaned into him, "Let's make the pot a little sweeter, that way you have a motivation to actually beat me. I win – you leave me alone about whose company I choose to keep."

"And if I win, you stop spending time with the Cullens. Period."

I suck out my hand. "Deal."

We shook on it. "Alright. Since Sam and I are both adults, we can make this fight a little sweeter. Anything goes?"

He nodded.

I was glad that I had put on my black, long sleeved spandex suit underneath what I had worn today. I kicked off my shoes, as did Sam, and he took off his belt buckle.

We circled one another for a long time, each watching how the other moved carefully. He reminded me of Logan in many of the same ways Seth had in fighting. [John, Logan. I will need your help with this one. Just do for me if you see the opportunity.] I released my mental holds on their personalities, and my head was suddenly much more crowded as John and Logan both joined me in the forefront of my consciousness and blended into my personality.

And just as I was mentally stable, he lunged. I quickly dodged and grasped his head, putting him into a headlock .

I was in a cage, and my opponent was going down.

He butted his head back into my chin, and his hair brushed my chin as I moved quickly out of the collision course. He trashed wildly, but my grip was like a Chinese finger trap – the harder he pulled, the more ensnared he became.

I was fighting for food on the streets of Sydney, and I was winning.

He threw his body into the ground, spraying sand everywhere. Everyone in the circle around us stepped back. I was underneath him now, but I still had a death grip around his neck and he was struggling to breathe.

I was a god of street fighting, and I fucking knew it – everyone did.

"Giving up so easily Sammie? See I knew the Cullens weren't that bad."

With full-metal Piotr – worthy force, he ripped himself from my hold, nearly ripping my arms off at the elbows.

I sneered at him, bouncing on the balls of my feet. He lunged again, and this time, made contact. He hit my chest, knowing out my breath, and I stumbled slightly. He took advantage of my weakness and distraction and launched himself at me.

I let him hit me, and grabbed his arm, twisting it behind his back. His massive frame and steroid build worked against him as I moved my lithe frame behind him, still struggling to grasp a breathe, but not wanting to give up on this opportunity. I had him in a painful hold, and he stilled beneath me.

"Give." I commanded.

"Never." His body trembled underneath me, and the whisper of a sixth sense tickled in the back of my mind. I ignored it and twisted just a touch harder. His arm would snap if he or I moved.

"Give Sam, or I **will** break your arm."

He shook his head, and his body trembled harder. I sighed, "You asked for it." I jerked his hand and a loud crunch made the people watching flinch. The trembling underneath me was so violent I was nearly shaken off. "Yield Sam."

He shook his head. I twisted again. His elbow was seconds away from dislocation now, he had to know that. "Sam. I've already broken your arm. You can't win at this point. Do you want me to dislocate your elbow?"

I had to grip his shoulders tightly as his shaking became almost seizure like. His body trembled, shifting from violent heavy shakes to a shimmer, he skin beneath my gloved hands feeling as though it were in a constant state of flux. "YIELD!" he screamed, and I twisted his arm out of the hold, jumping off him to free him. He bolted through the crowd into the woods, and everyone, myself included, stared in shock. Several of the Quilete boys followed – I noticed they were the same ones that Jake and Seth had mentioned were in Sam's little gang.

"Wow, Marie. You kicked his ass." Jake broke up the tension, laughing.

Several others joined in, but I noticed with no small bit of glee that the three boys that had been so faithfully stalking me seemed uneasy after watching me take down the biggest of them all. Well, two of the three anyway; Tyler was bent over his knees next to a tree, vomiting. [Geez, was I really **that** gruesome?]

_Or they just drank that much. Is anyone here sober?_ (Logan)

I checked around, and surely enough, the only two people that were still around that didn't have glasses in their hands were obviously Quiletes. [Hmm, I suppose I could be the responsible one and offer to drive everyone home.]

_And be the nanny? Why not just make sure they don't drive themselves the easy way? _(Erik)

I saw in Erik's thoughts pulling the spark plugs out of everyone's cars, and decided that was the best way to go. Sneaking off from the group, I quickly disabled all the vehicles that were still lingering; I figured if someone was sober enough to fix the problem, they could probably make it home okay. Otherwise, they'd need to find their own ride. Then, with a quick goodbye to Jacob and Seth, I headed home on my own, not looking forward to early morning service.

Service with Angela in the morning was different from what I had expected. Of course, at the institute, we had the opportunity to visit the local chapel, which was relatively open-minded towards mutant kind, every Sunday. Today's service didn't address any hot topics, but was instead focused on forgiveness and the power of salvation. I was a little surprised that the preacher didn't choose to wander into the topic of genetics and mutation.

"How'd you like the service, Marie?" Angela pulled me aside before I could take off.

"It was interesting. Ah was a little surprised your dad put so much emphasis on us all being sinners and all 'falling short' so-to-speak of perfection. Ah guess I'm more used to tha 'fire-and-brimstone' kinda sermon. Ah mean, aren't there different degrees of sin?"

"We are all born with sin and to sin. It's part of being human. We were created to be imperfect, Marie. No one, not even God, expects us to be pure all the time. Sure, we have different burdens to bare, but in the end, I believe it will come down to what you did, what you chose to overcome and the efforts each of us made to be the best person we could and spread God's love the best we can. There is nothing unforgivable, but all sins need to be forgiven. Does that help?"

Angela was so sure footed in her faith, I was slightly envious. My personal faith was so twisted because of the different religions I was exposed to through my mutation that I rarely could pin down one belief to succinctly call my own. SO, I gave on the question, leaving with a maybe on whether or not I'd be back.

I had taken my purse with the movie with me to the church, so I headed straight to the Cullen's house. Once I arrived, Alice was practically bouncing off the walls with her happiness.

"So, Ah've got a movie to watch. Ah know y'all've probably seen it already, well at least some of y'all anyway, but Alice said it was my choice, so..."

Esme and Carlisle walked in just then, and I could swear my heart stuttered to a stop as I realized that they may have intended to join us. Actually, given the R rating, I should probably have asked them if it was okay to even watch the film in their house. I steeled myself, and went for the question. "Hello Esme, Carlisle."

"Hi Marie dear. What is on the movie list for tonight?"

"Oh. Actually, Ah should ask before we put it on. Ah'm sorry Ah didn't think to ask before... It's called Fight Club – it's sort of a, coming of age story. But it has some pretty explicit violence... Ah'm sorry if you don't think that's appropriate, it didn't cross mah mind..."

She interrupted me quickly, "Oh no, that's fine. But I think I'll skip out on the drama then and we'll go out like we'd planned to anyway."

[God I love Esme. She really has a great way of diffusing situations.] "Okay. Thanks. You're sure it's okay if Edward and Alice watch it, right ma'am? I mean, it's only R, but they are your kids and all."

She and Carlisle exchanged a strange look and I swore I heard Emmett laugh in the living room, though he couldn't have heard me. "No, I'm quite sure it's fine. Have a wonderful evening, and do call if there is any trouble."

"Thanks."

I watched the movie, on the edge of my seat. I'd seen it a dozen or more times, so several of my favorite lines rolled off the tip of my tongue before I'd realize it. I didn't dare look at Edward's face after I quoted Marla Singer's greatest, "I haven't been fucked like that since grade school." Emmett's laughter said enough.

After the movie, Edward, Jasper, and Alice seemed like they were in a bit of a mood and were all quiet. Emmett, though, boisterous as ever, was joking with me about some of the lines. He grabbed my hand roughly, and I barely avoided ripping it out of his grasp.

"This is the greatest moment of your life, Marie, and you're off somewhere-."

I laughed loudly, "Sorry Em, but Ah've beat ya to it."

He looked confused, and without thinking about it, I pulled back my left hand glove, revealing a crescent shaped scar that would perfectly match St. John's teeth impressions. The skin was puckered and heavily scarred over; it had been so painful, but I loved every minute of it.

I remember when he had tossed the idea around after we watched it the first time. Bobby had wimped out, but Piotr, St. John, Jubilee and I all did it. Mine was the hardest, because obviously no one wanted to lick their lips and press them to my skin. When Johnny came up with a way to get around the skin-to-skin contact, I nearly leaped for joy, which was bizarre now that I think about it. [What kind of a girl gets excited about being able to scar herself with her friends?]

_Hey hey. We all enjoyed that. And it was a damn good idea too. _ (John)

"I want one!" Emmett cried.

Do I need to add that after that, the professor took care to hide the household cleaning supplies, like lye, far away from student access?

Rosalie was scowling, and I knew I had a way out of giving Emmett a scar. God, what would Carlisle and Esme think of me if I gave their kids scars too? "Ah'd do ya Em, but Ah'ma take a wild guess that Rosalie wants you scar-free, and you're gonna stay that way."

Alice invited me to eat lunch with her siblings, again, on Monday, and I agreed. The lunchroom was loud, and crowded, even more so than the first day I'd been in. Rumors were flying around, and stories about how I had defeated the strongest Quilete boy. I smugly smiled – I had done a damn good job of tearing into Sam's ass.

Sitting with Alice's siblings was a strange experience. I didn't even both getting any of the cafeteria food, knowing it would be disgusting as usual. I grabbed a Lemonade and bag of MnM's instead.

I was happy that I was finally being left alone - even Mike's looks of longing and lust had turned so quickly into ones of wariness and fear. The gossip around school was mostly focused on the upcoming dance that was now 2 weeks away.

Edward asked me about the sudden change in attention at lunch, and I laughed.

"Ah know, it's great huh? Eric and Tyler have also decided it seems that Ah am no longer on their wish list this year." I mused, but that didn't explain why.

"Why exactly have their feelings changed? What happened?" he sounded a little suspicious. Good.

"Remember Sam from the city last week?"

Edward nodded his head weakly.

"We fought." I stated boldly, mischief I'm sure in my eyes.

His eyes snapped wide open and his pupils darkened. "Wh...what?" He sputtered in disbelief. [Well, now that's only mildly insulting.]

"Don't look so shocked. Some of the boys from the reservation that are in the UFC here started a contest. It came down to Sam and I. Don't worry, I whooped his ass." I gleefully smiled.

_You kicked butt, girlie. This dude doesn't seem to like it that much._ (Jubilee)

His mouth dropped open in shock, and my smile quickly turned to a frown. "Shut your trap; you'll catch flies." I whispered in an annoyed tone.

"I'm sorry. I just... you fought Sam, and won?" he squeaked slightly on the last word.

_Bad choice of words my man, bad choice of words. _(Bobby)

My murderous gaze caught his eyes. It seems for once we were all in agreement. [Oh you of little faith.] "Yes, is that really so hard to believe? Ah broke his forearm and dislocated his elbow." I turned back to the front, pointedly ignoring Edward.

"Bella, what's this I heard about you kickin' some ass this weekend?" Emmett's voice startled me through the deep and angry fog/thoughts I'd sunken into.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" I replied snarling more than I had intended.

Emmett's hands shot up in an apologetic manner, "Sorry, jeeze, didn't mean to offend." He gave me a sorrowful look, that was so misfit to his usually joyful and mischievous face that I had to give in.

"It's okay Em; it's not you." I decided abruptly not to mention Edward's role in my poor behavior, "So you heard about the fight huh?"

"We did. How did it happen exactly?" Rosalie came in out of nowhere.

"Um, hi?"

"Hello Marie. So... how did the fight get started?"

I looked from her to Emmett, trying to figure out exactly how she had walked up without me seeing her, and how she knew what we were talking about. I gave up.

"We went to la Push for the cookout. Some of the boys were talking rash about whether or not our fighters could beat last year's fighters. It started a contest, and Ah beat the last guy at the top."

"This guy, was Sam Uley, from the Reservation, right?"

"Yes."

"How barbaric, Marie."

"Why thank you Rosalie. From you, Ah consider that a compliment." [**Is Rosalie PMSing today or something?**]

Edward snorted, apparently I caught him off guard, and he gave me a piercing glare. I smiled happily, [Is it a bad sign that I take some enjoyment out of making other people uncomfortable?]

_No it's human. _ (John)

Rosalie's scornful look turned to Edward. [**Oh man, she must really be deep on the rag then.**]

If there were ever a moment that I thought Edward would blush, now would be it. His sheepish expression almost demanded it as he held in his embarrassed laughter, though from a quick glance at Jasper's gleeful face, I imagine he was fighting more than just his own reaction to my humor.

Rosalie stood up forcefully from the table, shoving it slightly, "I guess I'll just leave then, seeing as some people want to have a more private conversation."

"All the easier to gossip about you my dear!" I called after her as she stormed off. [God she's fun to piss off.] I turned back to the table and grinned at my companions, my friends, widely.

Then an itch caught my throat. My throat had been feeling a little sore all morning and I couldn't seem to clear it, but I knew it was nothing.

This itch quickly morphed into a heavy whooping cough, and it wouldn't stop throughout the rest of lunch with the crew of Cullens and Hales. [And Whitlocks] I added secretly to myself.

I rubbed my throat and gripped my trachea with my fingers, trying to rid myself of the ever persistent was nothing, just a little something in the air. Maybe Lori was trying a new perfume.

Edward didn't take the same attitude.

"You're sick; you should come over and let Carlisle take a look at you."

"I'm fine, Edward. It's a cough. Jeez."

"But you're starting to run a fever, and you haven't stopped coughing all morning."

The other couples at the table didn't look up at our exchange, but Alice had an almost worried look in her eyes as she kept them carefully trained at Jasper. I didn't miss the glares Edward had sent her when he thought I wasn't looking.

**[Have you been spying on me with your telepathy? That's very rude. And unnecessary.]** Edward looked appropriately abashed, minus the actual blushing, and I continued out loud, "Ah'm fine. Ah just must have caught a little bug from the kids at the reservation."

But I wasn't.


	22. 22: Get down with the sickness

A/N: This is the second chapter of 2012 - so skip back one if you haven't checked FFN since August. Also, fair warning, this chapter is not one that I have an immediate followup completed yet. I have what will be chapter 24, but not chapter 23. So the next one won't be out until the beginning of October at the earliest.

**As a lesson in why to publish as you write**, even if you are a perfectionist, please take note of this chapter. This was one of the first chapters I wrote (I write as scenes come to me, and not necessarily in order), and was written when H1N1 (swine flu) was huge in the press. In fact, I think this scene was what inspired this series of writing for me.

I realize I've lost most of my old readers, but I have these chapters that are filling up my email box that I never published because, well, I didn't think they were complete enough. Or something.

WARNINGS: strong language and implications of rape and torture.

Summary: Edward x Rogue. AU both worlds. Rogue moves to Forks to escape bad blood after she takes the cure in X3.

Without her powers, but still struggling with additional personalities that her powers had given her, she tries to blend in with the seemingly normal human world of small town America.

She has made friends with Edward, Alice, and Jasper, and recognizes Jasper from Logan's Civil War memories. She suspects Jasper is empathic and knows that Edward is telepathic and his family knows it.

Marie has just fought, and won, a fight with old friends from the Rez over her friendship with the Cullens.

[Person's thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

**_Projected thoughts from OC_**

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

Previously:

_"You're sick; you should come over and let Carlisle take a look at you."_

_"I'm fine, Edward. It's a cough. Jeez."_

_"But you're starting to run a fever, and you haven't stopped coughing all morning."_

_The other couples at the table didn't look up at our exchange, but Alice had an almost worried look in her eyes as she kept them carefully trained at Jasper. I didn't miss the glares Edward had sent her when he thought I wasn't looking._

**_[Have you been spying on me with your telepathy? That's very rude. And unnecessary.]_**_ Edward looked appropriately abashed, minus the actual blushing, and I continued out loud, "Ah'm fine. Ah just must have caught a little bug from the kids at the reservation."_

_But I wasn't._

That night I woke up at 3 am feeling like I had a throat of barbed wire and a belly of sour crude.

I barely made it to the shared bathroom in time to empty my bile-filled stomach into an appropriate receptacle, and promptly began what seemed to be a never-ending cycle of dry-heaving. My stomach clenched heavily, over and over again, but there was nothing for me to choke up after the first round.

The vomiting made my abdomen ache, and my arms felt weak. I laid my head against the wall of the bathroom, burping disgustedly as the clenching slowed, but refused to stop.

[It could have been soothing if it wasn't so painful and I wasn't so tired.] My stomach clenched again, causing a little bit of bitter fluid to flood my mouth and burn my nostrils like chlorine gas.

_The burn would be stronger_ (Logan)

[Nope, scratch that. It couldn't have been soothing at all.]

I desperately tried not to get hysterical. I hadn't actually been sick since before I absorbed Logan. A bumbling next to me alerted me to having woken my uncle. [Damn it.]

A soft knock on the half open door preceded his presence. At the sight of me sprawled on the floor by the toilet - I'm sure pale as a ghost and shivering - he hurried over in his sleepy state and took stock of my forehead. "Marie, you are burning up. When did you wake up? You should have woke me up."

He filled a glass of water and handed it to me. I swirled it in my mouth before spitting it out into the toilet, and then drank barely a mouthful, knowing it might come back. My stomach clenched harder at the sudden weight of substance.

I coughed heavily, the bile making my already sore throat ache in a way water wouldn't even soothe. "Ah jus' woke up. Ah'm fine; iz just a stomach flu." My voice was harsh, rough, and low. I doubted he heard more than mumbling.

_Fine is by-far the worst descriptor in your vocabulary for your current condition_ (Erik)

_Oh shut it Magnet head_ (Logan)

I groaned as my headache grew stronger. Charlie reached around me, surprisingly able to lift me with ease, carrying me back to my bed. "This ain't the stomach flu Marie. No school tomorrow and I'm calling Dr. Cullen in the morning. You might have that swine flu the news has been talking about." He laid me gently on my bed and pulled the covers halfway up my heaving body.

I opened my mouth to protest, but instead of speaking, I coughed, again, my spasming lungs offering me no relief as they burned with need for air. I kept coughing, and coughing, until finally I was able to suck in a breath. And then I coughed again, twice, heavily. I wearily looked up at my uncle, whose face was plastered with sincere concern, all traces of fatigue gone.

"I'm going to go grab some medicine and water for you from downstairs." He reached for a garbage can that was under my desk, pulling out the trash bag and setting it next to my bed, "In case… you know."

I nodded weakly, and unable to even keep my eyes open, I let them close tiredly and focused on trying to breathe.

…

I woke up to ice cold fingers running across my forehead. My stomach felt settled, or at the very least, empty and not clenching, but I ached, all over. My whole body hurt in a way I hadn't felt in so very long, if ever. I tried to lift my arms to rub my eyes, but was too weak. I let my face scrunch up as I tried to open my eyes, my bleary vision meeting the face of a concerned Carlisle. It wasn't very bright, which I was grateful for.

He spoke softly, the gentle, almost ever-present concern and professionalism in his eyes and touch, and he reached for my wrist and presumably took my pulse, "Good morning Marie. It seems that you have had quite the evening."

I tried to speak, but my throat was too dry. A water glass was at my lips before I even saw him reach for it, and I drank greedily. I coughed a few times weakly to try to clear my throat, "Ah think Ah've'ed betta, that's fer sure."

[Damn, control your accent]

_Don't bother. He isn't controlling his – have you noticed he sounds a bit English? _(Erik)

He laughed softly, but his face didn't lose the serious tension. "Jeez doc, am Ah gonna die?"

His brow furrowed, "No, but you could have. Charlie called me shortly after you woke up sick last night. You were starting to wheeze in your sleep, and he didn't know what to do."

[Death by suffocation. Oh Joy!]

_Not as much fun as it sounds like. _(Logan)

"Oh." Without warning my stomach clenched hard and fast against the water I had sipped on, and with a strength I didn't know I had, I flew out of the bed and towards the bathroom, one hand over my mouth and one over my stomach.

Once my stomach felt empty through still clenching, and my throat felt like it should have been bleeding, I released the porcelain throne from my grip and fell back against the wall. Again. Only this time, my only friends' father got to witness, and nearly got caught in my path. Ringing in my ears drowned out all other sounds, but of course, my psyches.

_Be grateful you reached the toilet. _(Logan)

_Can you imagine his face if you had wretched all over his clothes?_ (John)

_Way to impress a dude's family, Roguey. Vomit all over his shoes._ (Jubilee)

"Uhh, shut up." I mumbled, rubbing my forehead hard, a head ache, no, a migraine settling in.

A cool presence was in front of me, and then lifted me and carried me back to the bed. I let him, falling asleep before I was even returned to the softer surface.

…

_'That son-of-a-bitch that had captured us after the last battle had realized we weren't as easy to kill and had us bound. His icy blue eyes stared us down as our humor at his attempts to cause fatal injury came up empty. I laughed when he brought his revolver to my chest and emptied it into my heart; physically it felt like little more than a tickle. I'd had worse. _

_The major's face was now stone cold as he stared down Victor and I. "I will put the fear of God into you two, and then I will watch you die." He attached heavy lead weights, harvested from a cannon barrel that had exploded, to the chains that bound our hands and feet. _

_Victor looked at me and grinned, "Jimmy, the little shit thinks he can drown us." I laughed, but started choking as immense fear filled my being. Irrational, overwhelming fear, the likes of which I hadn't felt since the night our parents had died. But even then it hadn't been this strong._

_"What are you doing to me Whitlock?" Victor growled out. _

_"Justice, boys. Enjoy your swim to the bottom, and see you in hell." We fell into the river below the bridge. I held my breath, trying desperately not to panic in spite of the fear that he was pushing through my veins. I sucked in a breath and started choking on water. I was drowning. My vision started to tunnel…'_

I woke to my body heaving and coughing all at once, breathing in bile and vomit as I tried desperately to get air in the midst of the coughing fit I was having. A mask was fitted over my face that I clawed at trying to breathe, and a hand was on my back delivering firm, sure pats. "Calm down, take it easy. Slow easy breathes Marie. In and out. In and out."

I fell back asleep to that gentle, familiar tenor.

[Edward]

_Don't vomit on _his _shoes _(Jubilee)

…

I coughed sorely, waking myself up. Edward jumped up from his seat and was at my side as fast as his feet landed. [My sense of time perception must be seriously off.]

I glared at him as darkly as I could, still hacking like a pack-a-day smoker. He quickly sat back down. [Why is he here anyway?]

_The doctor and Charlie both probably had to go back to work at some point._ (John)

_Without a healing factor, you couldn't be left alone. _(Logan)

"So you're here?"

Edward nodded slowly.

"What, you think I'm going to croak out in the middle of the night."

His face pinched slightly, [Yep, hit the nail on the head with that one.] "You are very sick, Marie."

I waved off his comment with a weak, limp-wristed hand, "Ya know what's funny?"

He shook his head, scowling.

"Similar strains a' tha flu circulated 90 years ago. Heard it on the news." _That's a lie, you know because of me. _(Logan).

"They killed some 100,000 Americans because ov'a similar health crisis. The H1N1 flu of 1918 laid dormant in people over the summer, and when it got cold, people fell ill and dead like flies."

"I fail to find humor in that, Marie. Given your current state."

"Oh fuck you Edward. Ah'm the one that's sick here. Have you ever had the flu? It fucking sucks."

He shook his head in a disapproving manner. "I have actually."

"Yeah well, there are worse things in this world than the flu, unless ah die." I coughed out a half laugh, half lung.

_You can't die on me Marie. _ (Logan)

Edward's cold hands found their way to my back as his weight registered on the bed next to me. "Your fever is getting high Marie. Maybe you should take another cold shower."

"Ah think Ah'm 'a just gonna go ta sleep..."

…

EPOV

Marie had been unconscious for 2 days. The 2 worst days of my existence, even accounting for my own bout with the same damned disease 90 years prior.

Last night was worse though, so bad I even called Carlisle to come over and confirm. Marie's body started flushing hot, dangerously hot even to the touch and well over 103°F, and then rapidly cooling to well below 90°F. Far beyond the safe bounds for a human.

She was writhing in her bed in a delirious state of sickness, scratching at her skin as though it itched, mumbling about burns and aches. Bathed in sweat, Carlisle took in her appearance and was completely stumped. He had never seen anything like it.

Traces of the flu virus lingered in the air, but now, the stink of green that was once so strong in her blood seemed to ooze from her pores.

[**_Edward... look.]_** I looked where my father figure's eyes had settled, and black sweat began to pool on Marie's skin. She was putting off so much heat that I could feel it standing just a few feet from her, and the black sweat smelled like... well, like the taint that Jasper had pointed out in her blood. Carlisle grabbed a glass vile and collected a sample.

[**_Maybe we can get some answers._**]

"Or maybe we will only have more questions."

…

Within 4 hours of the last bead of sweat pouring off her body, Carlisle sponge bathed her until not a drop could be seen. I, rubber gloved, bagged and disposed of her bedding, replacing it with ones identical in appearance. We had unconsciously decided to keep this episode from her. Carlisle didn't know about Alice's vision of the beautiful monster and I wondered if I should tell him.

My phone vibrated.

_'Not yet'_ [Alice Cullen]

…

RPOV

Blinking.

Breathing. Not sorely. Shouldn't I be sore? It seems like aching and pain and fire was all I was meant to be for so long.

_Not dead yet Darling. _(Logan)

_Your attempts at drama astound me with their inadequacy. Please do sit up and stop being ridiculous. _(Erik)

[Oh right.] I open my eyes, spotting Alice in the chair next to my bed, pointedly examining my mural and not looking my way. She doesn't look anything less than perfect, though from the complete lack of light in the room I imagine it's late into the night; she must be tired.

"Hel…" I start coughing, but it is a good, clean cough, just like after _You've hit a bong too hard_ (John), _you inhale your first breath of ice-cold air after stepping outside_ (Bobby), _You finally get the gas out of your lungs _(Logan).

I wince. [Damn, too many days of no meditation or control, and you guys just wreak havoc, huh?]

Alice has turned to me, gently rubbing my back with her delicate hands, "Just breathe Marie. You are feeling much better today, aren't you?"

I get my breath back, quickly, and realize my body doesn't really ache at all. In fact, all I need is a good stretch, which I do, feeling practically every joint in my body pop.

"Can Ah take a shower?"

She closes her eyes for just a second, "Sure, Charlie's dead asleep and downstairs, so you won't wake him."

A shower feels good, and I notice I don't have many days' worth of stench to my body. [Oh gross, how can I look Carlisle in the eye now?]

_He is your doctor_ (Logan)

_If he was half the man I was, he'd have done a good, thorough washing…_ I winced, grabbing my head [Fuck you. Fuck you so badly.] I dove into my psychic plane as quickly as I could, ignoring the fact that I was naked and in the shower.

When I first came to Xavier, my psychic plane had already been formed into a mansion-type atmosphere. It had been overcrowded, like my mother's house with extra bedrooms that never existed and that was part of its fault.

I had bent the existing structure slowly into something that I had actually seen, the mansion, because the memories of a real place would help hold my personality, and thus the carry-on personalities, in place.

At least I thought so. Xavier wasn't fond of the idea.

The Mansion, the school, stood before me in near ruins. I nearly cried. All the vermin I'd picked up along the way were free, and taking advantage. I could see them picking through other memories, the more innocent and young of my hitchhiking souls, and I seethed.

They say homeless people pick up diseases and germs like no-body's business. Well, in my case, the diseases were people, if they can even be called that. Muggers, thieves, serial killers, rapists, pedophiles, they all reside within me alongside the mutant terrorists _freedom fighter_ (Erik) and neighborly pyromaniac _fireman_ (John).

I was the master here – this was my domain after all – but the task before me was daunting. In spite of the mansion looking like it had had repeated run-ins with the Special Forces, it felt more complete.

The faded areas weren't as abstract _the basketball court is back_ (Bobby).

I shook away the strange thought.

While mostly everything was in disarray, it was still here and solid, not faded or missing.

[I need help. What to do?] I concentrated on the people I needed most to be present and distinct, like

_Metal butt and I are the strongest, both in personality and in presence._ (Logan)

_Your pet wolf here and I do agree on that. Perhaps we can do some of the heavy-lifting?_ (Erik)

[Can I get you guys to start with rounding up the… less pleasant among us and lock them up again? I'll start on making the cells first.]

_I don't get it Marie, why don't you just absorb them into your psyche and let the actual person dissolve?_ (John)

[If I do that, John, then I might find myself oogling a ten-year-old, and then I'd really have to shoot myself]

_But we aren't fully absorbed to your psyche and you have some of our traits, like my love of ice-cream._ (Bobby)

[Firstly, you are mutants, so the absorption was already multi-faceted and I couldn't easily separate the personality and soul from myself because I took your genes and abilities too.

Second, I want to keep you as people, not as faded memories, because you remember your pasts and abilities better than I can.

I can't explain it well. The professor didn't seem to think I shouldn't be keeping around personalities and was trying to convince me to absorb them into mine, but in light of recent revelations, that was probably the opposite of what I need to do.]

_Brilliant deduction. You are the one with your mutation, and however you see fit to deal with it, it is the right way because it is your way. You forge your own path._ (Erik)

I quickly set about building 'traps' for the seedy personalities. I packaged together copied memories from Logan and Erik of drowning, being shot, bleeding out, family dying, starvation, and many other horrors, and then slowly 'pushed' each personality into those memories, so that they would be reliving them.

It served two purposes – the soul fragment was trapped in purgatory, suffering for its sins by reliving the worst moments of everyone else, and because they were living those memories no one else would have to. It was like they were stuck in a dream, and because they were all, thankfully, not mutants, they couldn't pull themselves out of it.

When the last personality _You fucking bitch I should have killed you first and fucked you warm_ was locked away, I quickly asked my strongest five, Logan, Erik, John, Bobby, and Jubilee, to work where they could at regrouping the others, and pulled out.

The shower had gone ice-cold. [Oops]. I stepped out shivering and dried off quickly. [It's a wonder Alice didn't come banging.]

_You wouldn't have heard if she did. _ (Logan)

[Shit]

I crept out of the bathroom in a long bath towel and quickly shuttled into my room, getting dressed to the early dawn light. [How long was I in there?]

"Not too long, just a few hours." Alice chirped. I spun around with my top only over my arms, fairly exposed even without a skin condition. "Alice!"

"I'm not going to ask Marie. Just try to be discreet, would you? I mean, Charlie will wake up soon."

"Umm." I felt totally out of my element.

_Her brother is a mutie, I think she's okay with it._ (Jubilee)

_She would have woken the cop on the couch or called her doctor of a father if she wasn't _(Bobby)

"Thank you." I hurriedly slipped my shirt over my head and pulled on some gloves.

"It's Thursday – Carlisle dropped a doctor's note by the school, though you should probably have been out a lot longer than a few days." Alice seemed to stop herself, thinking about her words, "Good luck for you, I guess it wasn't the swine flu after all!"

I laughed, "Does that mean Ah am cleared for going to class?"

"Yep!" She smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back.

…

(A/N: as a warning, I still have a few chapters in the buffer, but then I will be trying to piece together scenes again to create another one. Shouldn't take 3 years, but might take more a few weeks.)


	23. 23: She's crazy

A/N:

Summary: Edward x Rogue. AU both worlds. Rogue moves to Forks to escape bad blood after she takes the cure in X3.

Without her powers, but still struggling with additional personalities that her powers had given her, she tries to blend in with the seemingly normal human world of small town America.

She has made friends with Edward, Alice, and Jasper, and recognizes Jasper from Logan's Civil War memories. She suspects Jasper is empathic and knows that Edward and his family know he is telepathic.

She has been homeless, for a period at least 2 years ago, and is close friends with people on the reservation, though they aren't happen about it. She got very sick after visiting, but in less than a week she recovered.

[Person's thoughts]

_Other character's thoughts_

_'Visions'_

_**Projected thoughts from OC**_

**[Projected or strong personal thoughts]**

Previously:

_Within 4 hours of the last bead of sweat pouring off her body, Carlisle sponge bathed her until not a drop could be seen. I, rubber gloved, bagged and disposed of her bedding, replacing it with identical look-alikes. We had unconsciously decided to keep this episode from her. Carlisle didn't know about Alice's vision of the beautiful monster and I wondered if I should tell him._

_My phone vibrated. _

'Not yet' [_Alice Cullen]_

…

"_I'm not going to ask Marie. Just try to be discreet, would you? I mean, Charlie will wake up soon."_

"_Umm." I felt totally out of my element._

Her brother is a mutie, I think she's okay with it. _(Jubilee)_

She would have woken the cop on the couch or called her doctor of a father if she wasn't_ (Bobby)_

"_Thank you." I hurriedly slipped my shirt over my head and pulled on some gloves._

"_It's Thursday – Carlisle dropped a doctor's note by the school, though you should probably have been out a lot longer than a few days." Alice seemed to stop herself, thinking about her words, "Good luck for you, I guess it wasn't the swine flu after all!"_

_I laughed, "Does that mean Ah am cleared for going to class?"_

"_Yep!" She smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back._

…

RPOV

I took care during lunch to abandon the Cullens and meditate, and felt like my mental mansion was stronger than it had been since the cure. Surprising, but very welcome. Alice, of course, wouldn't let me get away with totally abandoning them, and strong-armed me, almost literally after gym.

"You can't practice after being sick. And Carlisle should really check you over one last time to make sure you are really out of the woods. I mean, you woke up less than 24 hours ago. Please?"

I couldn't deny her pleading looks. So I found myself bundled into her car, on my way to their house again after school Thursday night, presumably for Dr. Cullen to give me a check-up, but I knew it was more of Alice's manipulations.

_The girl is good at engineering consent. She could be a masterful politician for the right cause._ (Erik)

She obviously wanted to be my friend, almost desperately, which was odd and comforting all at once. I was a rather prickly, schizophrenic bitch at times.

_Gifted_ (John)

_Rough around the edges, but tough where it counts._ (Logan)

[yeah yeah]

As we approached the house I noticed a few of the drool-worthy beasts of metal were missing from the garage, namely Carlisle's awesome Mercedes. [Did they go out on a Thursday?]

Entering the house, I scoffed as I heard Edward pound out a Chopin piece. [Anyone can play the hell out of technical piece like that. He plays with the heart of a tinman. You would think he would at least try after the Joplin piece.]

Alice had bounded up the stairs without me and called out to Edward to join her, and I walked into the now vacant room.

The grand piano that stood before me was a tribute to the modern age. It's sleek black curves held high grade plastic keys in black and white; it was shinier than a freshly waxed car. The wing was open and no dust had settled onto the sound board. [Obviously he cares for this thing, even if he can't play it.]

"Do you play?"

The booming voice startled me, and I instinctively turned and crouched, before righting myself. [I thought I was alone. These people are worse than the kids at the mansion when it comes to sneaking up on people.]

"Very little, and not anymore." [I can't even think of it without thinking of Mom.] I crossed my fingers behind my back that he hadn't heard me last week when I not-so-politely showed up his younger brother. I was pretty sure he and Rosalie had been out.

"Oh I doubt that. Play for me, please? Even just a little tune?" Emmett asked, trying to catch my eyes in his golden-toned ones.

I looked away, staring at the very prominent cross over the threshold to the back of the house. "No, Ah really don't play. Ah haven't touched one in years." I smiled slightly, trying to remember the last happy memory I had of Mom playing piano softly, while Cody and I were hanging out in my bedroom, just minutes before that dreadful kiss that started my one-way ticket to Hell.

"I bet you could knock this one off of his pedestal, Marie." Jasper's voice came in from the door to the dining room as he entered the room. [Damn, he might have actually been here.]

"Sorry to disappoint Emmett, but Ah really don't think Ah could even dredge up a scale."

I tried my best to sound completely honest, but in reality, I knew that Mom's nearly instinctual knowledge of tickling the ivories was embedded in my hands permanently. I didn't want to remind myself why. I really hoped Jasper would keep his mouth shut. [Damn empaths]

"Alright how about Guitar Hero then?" He replied, turning on the television and X-box 360 that was gracefully hidden from view in a small cupboard.

"Ah'm up for it!" [I can whip anyone's ass in Guitar Hero. Willing to lend a hand, boys?]

_O Hell yes Roguey. This guy is up for a big surprise._ (John)

_Of_ _course Rogue. _(Bobby)

Emmett pulled out two guitars for our duel. "Are you sure you're ready, girlie?"

I was feeling too confident. [I could beat any of you at the mansion, blindfolded.] "I'll beat you down Emmett Cullen."

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure, and when I kick your butt you owe me a week of servitude."

"And you have to do whatever I ask."

"Deal" and we shook hands.

We agreed to three songs: I chose Jordan, it being one of the most kick ass and hardest songs ever on Guitar Hero, Emmett chose PsychoBilly Freakout, and Edward chose Misirlou. The whole family decided to come in and watch. I smirked at Emmett as we started, "I hope you like the whole French maid costume thing."

I set down my guitar in shock. I had never been beaten. [Suck it up Rogue.] I put out my hand for a fair game shake, but Emmett shook his head, laughing. "You remember what you bet?"

I nodded meekly, still dazed by my defeat. "Let me get the rest of them in hear to listen. You are going to serenade us, dear Marie."

He motioned to the piano. My jaw dropped, but quickly shut. [Fuck, I didn't think he'd ask me to do this.] I knew I couldn't get out of it – it was a perfectly fair bet. I sat down at the bench, trying to school my mind for a piece that I could play that wouldn't offend Erik's sensibilities or require me to use my mother's stolen knowledge. I came up dreadfully empty. [This is going to suck so bad.]

They all came in, Alice looking extremely smug, Edward interested and confident [I am going to fix that look – he should know better], Jasper in as much pain as I was in [I wonder why] I thought sarcastically to myself, Rosalie faintly disinterested, and low and behold, Carlisle and Esme were back from where-ever they had been, and looked on curiously.

I sighed, trying to think of what pieces I knew, that would be sufficient to fulfill my debt to Emmett and wipe the confident look off of Edward's face. I don't know why, but it really bugged me that he felt he was a better pianist.

I figured Edward was probably a typical high school student that was being forced to learn piano, so his skill level couldn't be that high; he as playing Chopin's nocturne in C# minor earlier for crying out loud, and very poorly might I add.

One has to love to play to learn to play well. I automatically ruled out any modern pieces, pop or otherwise. They would be too easy and were probably all Edward really studied anyway. "Don't be too disappointed when Ah screw up a little. Like Ah tried to tell Emmett here, Ah haven't actually played in years."

I quickly decided on Chopin's etude Op. 10 #2. It was a quick, technical piece. Short too. And I could play the hell out of it; I had learned it a long time ago, and playing it had always brought me a sense of comfort.

I settled bravely onto the piano bench and let my gloved fingers ghost over the keys, when a horrid thought struck me. I had never played with them on, outside of Edward and I's showdown the other day.

[How can I play this with my gloves on?] I considered changing pieces, but this one was perfect and fit the bill. So, I carefully shed my gloves and placed them next to me on the piano bench. I quickly launched into the piece, and when I finished, put my gloves back on before facing Emmett. "Satisfied?"

He looked disappointed. "Aww, Marie. Can't you play anything longer?"

"But we agreed Ah'd play, not for how long. And that was a complete piece."

I heard Edward mumble under his breath, "Probably can't even play anything longer... doesn't remember. Maple Leaf Rag was a fluke."

That ticked me off, and I could see Jasper's head jerk slightly with the fury that burned in me. [I'll show him.]

I narrowed my choices to two more complicated and traditional pieces that I could attempt to play, Suite bergamasque by Debussy and Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven. They were the last pieces I learned to play, well, I never finished Moonlight Sonata, but I came close.

Debussy was the easier choice – since I had finished learning it, but I knew that it being the last piece my mother had ever played, I wouldn't be able to finish it. Not to mention it was better played as an orchestral arrangement. It was practically a sin to play it without an accompaniment. Moonlight Sonata it was then.

Erik cringed inside of me. _Please don't do this Rogue. _

I contemplated this piece for a minute. It was last piece my mother was trying to teach me, and I had nearly mastered it. Erik would have a fit though – I knew it was haunting and brought up memories of barbed wire that neither of us wanted to revisit.

[Erik, try to steel yourself for this.] I mentally shut the door to his room and tried to imagine deep soundproofing around it, time spent outside at night with chickadees chirping and mosquitoes buzzing.

I sat down at the bench, carefully tugging at the fingertips of my silk gloves, contemplating removing them. I ultimately decided not to remove them though – they were thin enough that I should be able to play this piece without much trouble. I gently ran my fingers over the keys of Edward's beautiful, but painfully modern, Steinway piano, this time taking in the smoothness of its non-ivory keys and how my gloves slide over the tops.

I played a few scales, to check to tonality and re-judge the action. I realized belatedly that the action was very, very light on the piano, even though it couldn't have been more than a year old. Satisfied, I started in on the first movement.

Almost immediately, Erik's terror washed over me. I held it back though, and continued through the first movement fairly peacefully. His memories were burning through my mental shields - I knew it would only get worse - but this movement was the easy one anyway. I threw myself into its gentle melody and sad story...

As I started in on the second movement, I heard a collective gasp. [Guess they didn't think I knew all three movements. It is sad how many people only learn the first.] Halfway through, Erik's terror started to get tougher to just suppress, and my back started shaking. I knew he couldn't help it, but I struggled not to falter as his memories began to flood my mind.

My fingers were playing the notes perfectly, but my mind was walking in bare feet and ragged clothes towards a barracks. **I was staring through a chain-linked fence and watched bodies being dumped in heaps into a warehouse. I recognized one of the faces**...I pulled myself from these thoughts at the sounds of someone sobbing, launching into the third movement.

This movement was always the more difficult of the three for me, and I had never perfected it. My mother's fingers, however, knew it perfectly. Its haunting melody and drumming bass brought back Erik's memories in full force, **My mother's cold, pale, lifeless and half-rotten face on a barely recognizable body being thrown into a pile...**

I know I could have dealt those again, separately, but I was struggling to suppress something far more recent, personal, and powerful, and failing miserably.

I registered tears pooling in my eyes, but blinked them away as my hands jumped lightly between octaves; I could hear what I was playing, but knew that the notes belonged to Mom, and Mom alone. I numbly continued, letting my memories of her teaching me, and failing, to play the last few stanzas.

My upper body jerked as I was pulled into her memories directly, as the movement reached its one happy, star-like moment. I was lost to the room, though my fingers faithfully played what only Mom knew. **I was playing it, while my husband sat proudly on the couch, listening and Marie sat nearby on the stairs. My playing was the only thing that could ever pull him away from the damn television.**

As the last repeat of the melody repeated beneath my fingertips, I could feel nothing but my emotional control completely shattering; I gave up, and she took over for me, settling into the front seat of my consciousness.

My entire frame shook with residual terror and sadness as my fingers forcefully hit the last notes, signaling the end of the third movement, and thankfully, the end of that dreaded piece.

No one spoke a word as my mother wiped my tears and composed herself mentally, gently pushing Erik and myself back into the mansion, then focusing on being still to stop the shuddering. She wiped my face with my sleeve and adjusted my gloves.

She turned back to where the family was sitting. They were looking at me with shock. Feeling my face form into a big, fake smile, "Did that work for yah, Emmett?" [Her accent sounds so much like mine; I doubt they'll even notice the change, Marie.]

He stared at me for a minutes, and then replied as smoothly as I had, "I'd say that's a hell of a lot better than 'Haven't touched a piano in years'."

She laughed, "Ah really haven't. Tha' was tha last piece tha' Ah evah learned." She turned us to Alice, who was sitting with a very confused and distressed Jasper.

"It's getting a bit late; would you be a dear and take me home now?" _MOoOM! I do not call my friends 'dear'. _I mentally sighed.

"Sure sure." Alice sounded really distracted, but neither of us could think of why. [They couldn't have realized I was crying, could they?]

_Well, I guess that means they won't ask again, mamma. And good riddance for that._

[Goodness gracious child. You once loved to play. I wish you would realize that you still do.]

My eyes spared a glance at where Edward was sitting. He looked, for lack of a better description, in complete disbelief. He was staring at the keys of the piano, but not seeing them, his golden eyes unfocused and yet hard.

My mother mentally snorted. [Thinks my daughter can't do biology, and apparently is shocked to realize he isn't the world's best key-tickler. You had it comin' honey.]

_Go figure. Arrogant bastard._ I added.

[Marie, you should go take care of Erik. I've got this.]

He looked up at me from his stare at the keys, and gave me a twisted, painful smile – it reeked of pity and sadness, but we couldn't figure out why. He dropped his gaze quickly and took this as my cue to leave.

"Thank y'all for having me over Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. 'Twas a pleasure." She nodded my head towards their forms and followed Alice out the door towards the garage.

APOV

As Marie and I walked out to the garage, something was telling me the night was about to get a lot more interesting. [For one, I'm not having any visions about the drive home, nor anything really until I return to our house. For two, Marie is... acting strange.]

"So Alice, before y'all were adopted, where were yah from?"

[And her accent is a lot stronger, even though she isn't nervous or afraid. "Somewhere in the South. I don't remember it, and I consider the Cullens my only family now."

"That's a shame. Ya know, ya look like... oh neva mind."

That perked my interest. "I look like who?" I looked at her intently, and suddenly realized that her eyes were no longer that favorite chocolaty brown color, but a light hazel, almost green.

"Well, ya look like ole' Irene Adler, but ah know she's nevah been married, and she's far too old-fashioned to have slept around outside of that. Course, between you and meh, Ah think she's... swinging for the othah' side."

I kept my eyes on the road, trying to take this in. [Irene Adler?] But before I could contemplate it much, Marie, again, acting so out of character, kept going. "She's been blind most of her life. She used to babysit Mar... Ah mean, she used to babysit meh. She was a very kind woman."

I nodded my head. [Since when is Marie so talkative?] "She's always known things though. Ah'll nevah forget how one time Ah came ovah to pick up Marie and she was leaned ovah, her nose bleeding and her glasses off. Her eyes were... well they were all white.

She looked up at me with the saddest face and apologized. Ah tried to tell her she had nothing to be sorry for, but she corrected me sayin' 'Enjoy the time ya have with her. Ah am so sorry for what y'all will go through. Keep strong together – she will need ya more than evah just when ya think she needs ya tha least.'"

I almost slammed on the brakes, but kept my head together. [I'm not talking to Marie right now. Were my siblings right? Is she… no there has to be a better explanation?]

"Irene was such a sweet lady, but she neva sat Marie again. John wouldn'tave approved. Yah know, a few days before... oh Ah guess Ah should stop. Ah'm probably talkin' yah ear off."

I shook my head but couldn't bring myself to say anything in response. I would have cried if I could have. [Edward and Rose were right. She's.. schizophrenic.]

"No he wasn't."

I turned to stare at her, still driving though. [Did I say that outloud?]

"Mah daughter has nevah had any mental illnesses. She is not a schizophrenic. Alice... dear, can ya keep a secret?"

I nodded slowly, trying to take in that Marie's alternate personality was talking to me and telling me that Marie wasn't mentally ill.

"Mah name is Elizabeth D'Acanto, and Ah'm Marie's mamma."

I slammed on the breaks, shaking my head. "Oh Marie, I'm so sorry. I should have realized Edward was right. I'm so sorry."

This seemed to infuriate Marie, or at least her personality. "Alice Cullen!" She shouted, slamming her fist against my dashboard. "My daughter is not mentally ill. She... Ah can't tell ya why Ah'm here, and what is goin' on with her, but please, have some faith. Marie needs you. Ah can't be here for her anymore, and the only people she had abandoned her. You and ya family are really all she's got. My brotha, bless his heart, would not understand."

She grabbed my hand across the console, and pushed the side of my head so that I would face her. I gave in. "Please, Alice. Irene was neva wrong, and she told me that a woman who called herself Alice was gonna save my baby girl from herself. Please, do this for meh."

I nodded my head softly, and resumed driving her home in silence.

After she departed my car without a word, I drove back to the house. I knew Edward wouldn't be there, and though Jasper could feel that I was conflicted and confused, he didn't say anything as I looked up on the internet 'Irene Adler.'

When I didn't find anything substantial, I sighed in regret. For a minute, I'd actually believed her.

"Do you want to talk about it, darlin'?"

I shook my head, instead pulling him to me and taking in his dusty, earthen scent.

That night, I ignored the strange looks from my family members. i wasn't in the mood to talk about whatever was wrong with my best friend. I was going to drown my sorrows in my Jasper, but the new dawn brought little peace or satisfaction.

RPOV

_+_+_+_+_Dreamscape_+_+_+_+_+_

I stared into the mirror in my shitty little motel room for hours, overwhelming relief at the image before me. Blue tinted skin, with vibrant red hair, and bewitching yellow eyes. I was back, and there would be hell to pay, but first, I had to get out of here. I had a plan.

I awoke startled, and felt ill. My room was too dark to see anything, so I stumbled to the bathroom blindly. I flipped on the light, but still couldn't see. [What the hell is happening?] I realized I was starting to freak out, and regulated my breathing.

_In and out, Marie, nice and slow_ (Logan)

Slowly, my eyesight came back to me. It was blurry at first, and then as my vision faded in, I came into focus. [Was I panicked? Does panic cause temporary blindness]

My voices were silent. In the bathroom I looked like a mess: my face, pale and bloodied under the nose, my hair chaotic at best, and my nightgown askew.

[What the fuck happened to me?]


End file.
